IQ.630.7l 
I£6sr 
|no.3U 

cop. 5 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
AT  UR8ANA-CHAMPAIGN 
AGRICULTU. 


■HI 


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in  2011  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/marioncountysoil34smit 


C  ■  X 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


Jgijg'&vnr 


SOIL  REPORT  NO.  34 


MARION  COUNTY  SOILS 


Bt  R.  S.  SMITH,  E.  A.  NORTON,  E.  E.  DbTURK,  F.  C.  BAUER, 
and  L.  H.  SMITH 


URBANA,  ILLINOIS,  NOVEMBER,  1926 


i 


■ 


The  Soil  Survey  of  Illinois  was  organized  under  the  general  supervision 
of  Professor  Cyril  G.  Hopkins,  with  Professor  Jeremiah  G.  Mosier  directly 
in  charge  of  soil  classification  and  mapping.  After  working  in  association 
on  this  undertaking  for  eighteen  years,  Professor  Hopkins  died  and  Profes- 
sor Mosier  followed  two  years  later.  The  work  of  these  two  men  enters  so 
intimately  into  the  whole  project  of  the  Illinois  Soil  Survey  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  disassociate  their  names  from  the  individual  county  reports. 
Therefore  recognition  is  hereby  accorded  Professors  Hopkins  and  Mosier  for 
their  contribution  to  the  work  resulting  in  this  publication. 


STATE  ADVISOBY  COMMITTEE  ON  SOIL  INVESTIGATIONS 

1926-1927 


Balph  Allen,  Delavan 

F.  I.  Mann,  Oilman 

N.  P.  Goodwin,  Palestine 


A.  N.  Abbott,  Morrison 
G.  F.  Tullock,  Bockford 
W.  E.  Riegel,  Tolono 


RESEARCH  AND  TEACHING  STAFF  IN  SOILS 
1926-1927 

Herbert  W.  Mumf  ord,  Director  of  the  Experiment  Station 
W.  L.  Burlison,  Head  of  Agronomy  Department 


Soil  Physics  and  Mapping 
R.  S.  Smith,  Chief 
O.  I.  Ellis,  Assistant  Chief 

D.  C.  Wimer,  Assistant  Chief 

E.  A.  Norton,  Associate 
M.  B.  Harland,  Associate 
R.  S.  Stauffer,  Associate 

D.  C.  Maxwell,  Assistant 
M.  R.  Isaacson,  Assistant 

Soil  Fertility  and  Analysis 

E.  E.  DeTnrk,  Chief 

V.  E.  Spencer,  Associate 

F.  H.  Crane,  Associate 

J.  C.  Anderson,  First  Assistant 
R.  H.  Bray,  First  Assistant 

E.  G.  Sieveking,  First  Assistant 
H.  A.  Lunt,  First  Assistant 

B.  Cowart,  Assistant 

M.  P.  Catherwood,  Assistant 

F.  M.  Willhite,  Assistant 


Soil  Experiment  Fields 
F.  C.  Bauer,  Chief* 
H.  J.  Snider,  Assistant  Chief 
John  Lamb,  Jr.,  Associate 
M.  A.  Hein,  Associate 
C.  J.  Badger,  Associate 
A.  L.  Lang,  Associate 
A.  U.  Thor,  First  Assistant 
J.  E.  McKittrick,  Assistant 
L.  B.  Miller,  Assistant 

Soil  Biology 

O.  H.  Sears,  Assistant  Chief 
F.  M.  Clark,  Assistant 
W.  B.  Carroll,  Assistant 
W.  B.  Paden,  Assistant 

Soils  Extension 

F.  C.  Bauer,  Professor* 
C.  M.  Linsley,  Associate 

Soil  Survey  Publications 
Li.  H.  Smith,  Chief 
F.  W.  Gault,  Scientific  Assistant 
Nellie  Boucher  Smith,  Editorial 
Assistant  ■ 


*  Engaged  in  SolU  Extension  as  well  as  in  Soil  Experiment  Fields. 


( 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

It  is  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  soils  vary  tremendously  in  their 
productive  power,  depending  upon  their  physical  condition,  their  chemical  com- 
position, and  their  biological  activities.  For  any  comprehensive  plan  of  soil 
improvement  looking  toward  the  permanent  maintenance  of  our  agricultural 
lands,  a  definite  knowledge  of  the  various  existing  kinds  or  types  of  soil  is  a 
first  essential.  It  is  the  purpose  of  a  soil  survey  to  classify  the  various  kinds  of 
soil  of  a  given  area  in  such  a  manner  as  to  permit  definite  characterization  for 
description  and  for  mapping.  With  the  information  that  such  a  survey  affords, 
every  farmer  or  landowner  of  the  surveyed  area  has  at  hand  the  basis  for  a 
rational  system  of  improvement  of  his  land.  At  the  same  time  the  Experiment 
Station  is  furnished  an  inventory  of  the  soils  of  the  state,  upon  which  intelli- 
gently to  base  plans  for  those  fundamental  investigations  so  necessary  for  solving 
the  problems  of  practical  soil  improvement. 

This  county  soil  report  is  one  of  a  series  reporting  the  results  of  the  soil  sur- 
vey which,  when  completed,  will  cover  the  state  of  Illinois.  Each  county  report 
is  intended  to  be  as  nearly  complete  in  itself  as  it  is  practicable  to  make  it,  even 
at  the  expense  of  some  repetition.  There  is  presented  in  the  form  on  an  Appendix 
a  general  discussion  of  the  important  principles  of  soil  fertility,  in  order  to  help 
the  farmer  and  landowner  to  understand  the  significance  of  the  data  furnished 
by  the  soil  survey  and  to  make  intelligent  application  of  the  same  in  the  mainte- 
nance and  improvement  of  the  land.  In  many  cases  it  will  be  of  advantage  to 
study  the  Appendix  in  advance  of  the  soil  report  proper. 

Data  from  experiment  fields  representing  the  more  extensive  types  of  soil, 
and  furnishing  valuable  information  regarding  effective  practices  in  soil  manage- 
ment, are  embodied  in  form  of  a  Supplement.  This  Supplement  should  be  re- 
ferred to  in  connection  with  the  descriptions  of  the  respective  soil  types  found 
in  the  body  of  the  report. 

While  the  authors  must  assume  the  responsibility  for  the  presentation  of  this 
report,  it  should  be  understood  that  the  material  for  the  report  represents  the 
contribution  of  a  considerable  number  of  the  present  and  former  members  of  the 
Agronomy  Department  working  in  their  respective  lines  of  soil  mapping,  soil 
analysis,  and  experiment  field  investigation.  In  this  connection  special  recogni- 
tion is  due  the  late  Professor  J.  G.  Hosier,  under  whose  direction  the  soil  survey 
of  Marion  county  was  conducted,  and  to  Mr.  H.  C.  Wheeler,  who  was  in  direct 
charge  of  the  field  party  in  the  construction  of  the  map. 


XI  UR8A; 


CONTENTS  OF  SOIL  REPORT  No.  33 
MARION  COUNTY  SOILS 

PAGE 

LOCATION  AND  CLIMATE  OF  MARION  COUNTY 1 

AGRICULTURAL  PRODUCTION 1 

SOIL  FORMATION   2 

Geological  History    2 

Soil  Development    4 

Physiography    and    Drainage 4 

Soil   Groups    5 

INVOICE  OF  THE  ELEMENTS  OF  PLANT  FOOD  IN  MARION  COUNTY  SOILS.  ...  7 

The  Upper    Sampling    Stratum 8 

The  Middle  and  Lower  Sampling  Strata 10 

DESCRIPTION  OF  SOIL  TYPES 13 

(a)  Upland  Prairie  Soils 13 

(b)  Upland  Timber  Soils 18 

(c)  Ridge  Soils  21 

(d)  Residual  Soils   22 

(e)  Old  Swamp  and   Bottom-Land   Soils 22 

APPENDIX 

EXPLANATIONS  FOR  INTERPRETING  THE  SOIL  SURVEY 24 

Classification  of   Soils 24 

Soil  Survey  Methods 26 

PRINCIPLES  OF  SOIL  FERTILITY 27 

Crop  Requirements  with  Respect  to  Plant-Food  Materials 28 

Plant-Food  Supply   28 

Liberation  of  Plant  Food 30 

Permanent   Soil    Improvement 31 

SUPPLEMENT 

EXPERIMENT  FIELD  DATA 41 

The  Odin  Field  42 

The  Toledo  Field   55 

The  Newton  Field    57 

The  DuBois  Field 62 

The  Ewing  Field    64 


MARION  COUNTY  SOILS 

By  R.   S.   SMITH,  E.  A.  NORTON,  E.   E.  DeTURK,   F.  C.   BAUER,  AND  L.  H.   SMITH1 

LOCATION  AND  CLIMATE  OF  MARION  COUNTY 

Marion  county  is  located  in  the  central  southern  part  of  Illinois,  near  the 
center  of  that  area  commonly  referred  to  as  "Egypt."  The  county  is  square  in 
shape,  is  of  medium  size,  and  contains  565  square  miles.  It  lies  entirely  within 
the  geological  area  now  thought  by  geologists  to  be  of  pre-Illinoisan  age. 

The  climate  of  Marion  county  is  characterized  by  a  wide  range  between  the 
extremes  of  winter  and  summer  and  by  an  abundant,  fairly  well-distributed 
rainfall  with  the  exception  that  the  months  of  July  and  August  are  likely  to  be 
drouthy.  In  some  years  the  rainfall  during  these  months  is  excessive  and  comes 
in  the  form  of  thunder  showers  which  beat  the  ground  and  are  otherwise  harmful. 
The  average  annual  rainfall  during  the  past  thirty  years,  as  computed  from 
Weather  Bureau  stations  in  the  vicinity  of  Marion  county,  has  been  40.34  inches. 
The  average  rainfall  by  months  for  this  period  has  been  as  follows:  January, 
3.03  inches ;  February,  2.63 ;  March,  3.24 ;  April,  3.85 ;  May,  3.98 ;  June,  4.19 ; 
July,  3.39;  August,  3.57;  September,  3.66;  October,  3.02;  November,  2.95; 
December,  2.83. 

The  greatest  range  in  temperature  for  any  one  year  during  the  past  thirty 
years,  also  computed  from  Weather  Bureau  stations  in  the  vicinity  of  this  county, 
was  126  degrees  in  1899.  The  lowest  temperature  recorded  was  22°  below  zero  in 
February,  1899;  the  highest,  113°  in  July,  1901.  The  average  date  of  the  last 
killing  frost  in  the  spring  is  April  14 ;  the  earliest  in  the  fall,  October  16.  The 
average  length  of  the  growing  season  is  185  days. 

AGRICULTURAL  PRODUCTION 

Marion  county  is  distinctly  agricultural;  there  is  no  large  industry  of 
importance  in  the  county  other  than  that  of  farming.  Farming,  however,  is 
tending  toward  specialized  crops,  because  of  certain  soil  characteristics  and  the 
influence  of  climate.  According  to  the  Fourteenth  Census  of  the  United  States, 
there  were  3,097  farms  in  Marion  county  in  1919,  the  average  size  of  farm  being 
106.8  acres,  90.7  of  which  were  improved.  Of  these  3,097  farms,  22.8  percent 
were  operated  by  tenants  in  1919.  The  number  of  farms  has  decreased  slightly 
in  the  past  twenty  years,  and  there  has  been  also  a  slight  decrease  in  tenantry 
corresponding  to  the  decrease  in  farms  over  the  same  period. 

The  principal  crops  grown  in  this  county  are  fruits,  hay,  corn,  wheat,  and 
oats.  The  following  tables  show  the  acreage  and  yield  of  the  more  important 
field  crops  for  the  year  of  1919,  as  given  by  the  above-mentioned  Census. 


1  R.  S.  Smith,  in  charge  of  soil  survey  mapping;  E.  A.  Norton,  associate  in  soil  survey 
mapping;  E.  E.  DeTurk,  in  charge  of  soil  analysis;  F.  C.  Bauer,  in  charge  of  experiment  fields; 
L.  H.  Smith,  in  charge  of  publications. 


Soil  Report  No.  34 


[November, 


Crops 


Acreage        Production 


Corn 

Wheat , 

Oats 

Rye 

Timothy 

Timothy  and  clover  mixed . 

Clover  

Redtop , 

Silage  crops 

Corn  for  forage 


32,052 
30,638 
33,059 
2,987 
13,403 
'2,546 

346 
32,184 

819 
10,473 


285,994 

371,056 

578,532 

25,713 

11,522 

2,779 

415 

22,803 

3,250 

11,461 


bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

tons 

tons 

tons 

tons 

tons 

tons 


Yield  per  acre 

8.9  bu. 

12.1  bu. 

17.5  bu. 

8.6  bu. 

.86  ton 

1.09 

1.20 

.71 

3.96 


tons 
tons 
ton 
tons 


1.09  tons 


In  considering  these  figures  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  represent 
the  yields  of  a  single  year  only,  those  of  1919,  which  appears  to  have  been  an 
exceedingly  poor  year  for  corn.  Figures  furnished  by  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture  give  the  following  average  acre  yields  for  the  ten-year  period  1911- 
1920:  corn,  18.3  bushels;  wheat,  12.8  bushels;  oats,  18.6  bushels;  tame  hay,  .93 
ton.  Leguminous  crops  such  as  cowpeas  and  sweet  clover  have  been  given  con- 
siderable attention  during  the  past  five  years. 

Fruits,  particularly  apples,  peaches,  and  strawberries,  have  been  fairly 
remunerative  in  the  past  and  give  promise  to  be  more  so  in  the  future.  The 
following  figures  show  the  production  in  Marion  county  for  the  last  Census  year : 


Tree  Fruits  Production 

Apples 170,138  bu. 

Peaches 27,800  bu. 

Pears 26,519  bu. 

Cherries 390  bu. 


Small  Fruits  Production 

Strawberries 351,938  qts. 

Raspberries 4,793  qts. 

Blackberries    and    dewberries..  30,410  qts. 

Grapes 48,248  lbs. 


Marion  county  is  not  an  important  livestock  county.  The  total  value  of  all 
livestock  and  livestock  products  in  1919  was  $3,730,776.  The  following  figures 
from  the  1920  Census  show  the  character  of  the  livestock  interests : 

Animals  and  Animal  Products                            Number  Value 

Horses 11,401  $750,981 

Mules 1,847  157,920 

Beef  cattle 5,340  250,497 

Dairy  cattle 16,078  875,979 

Sheep 7,837  89,778 

Swine 13,488  156,939 

Eggs  and  chickens 562,010 

Dairy-  products 477,289 

SOIL  FORMATION 

GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY 

Previous  to  the  Glacial  period  the  country  thruout  the  state  of  Illinois  was 
generally  rough,  having  been  cut  by  numerous  streams  into  hilly  topography. 
During  the  Glacial  period  snow  and  ice  accumulated  in  the  region  of  Labrador 
and  to  the  west  of  Hudson  Bay  in  such  large  amounts  that  the  mass  pushed 
outward  from  these  centers,  chiefly  southward.  In  moving  across  the  country 
from  the  north,  the  ice  gathered  up  all  sorts  and  sizes  of  materials  including 
clay,  silt,  sand,  gravel,  boulders,  and  even  immense  masses  of  rock.  Some  of  these 
materials  were  carried  several  hundred  miles  as  the  ice  pushed  forward,  and  an 
immense  amount  of  rock  powder  was  produced  by  the  grinding  or  file-like  action 
of  the  rock  material  imbedded  in  the  ice. 


1926]  Marion  County  3 

During  this  period  at  least  six  distinct  ice  advances  occurred  that  were 
separated  by  long  periods  of  time.  They  are  listed  as  follows,  in  the  order  of  their 
occurrence :  the  Nebraskan,  the  Kansan,  the  Illinoisan,  the  Iowan,  the  early 
Wisconsin,  and  the  late  Wisconsin.  While  geologists  have  accurately  traced  the 
limits  of  advance  of  the  later  glaciations,  the  exact  area  covered  by  the  earlier 
ones  is  difficult  to  determine  because  of  the  effect  of  subsequent  glaciations. 

The  material  transported  by  the  glaciers  varied  with  the  character  of  the 
rocks  over  which  they  passed.  Granites,  sandstones,  limestones,  shales,  etc.,  were 
torn  from  their  lodging  places  by  the  enormous  denuding  power  of  the  ice  sheet 
and  ground  up  together,  thus  forming  an  immense  amount  of  fine  sediment. 
A  pressure  of  40  pounds  a  square  inch  is  exerted  by  a  mass  of  ice  100  feet  thick, 
and  these  ice  sheets  were  hundreds,  or  possibly  thousands,  of  feet  in  thickness. 
The  materials  carried  along  in  the  ice,  especially  the  boulders  and  pebbles,  be- 
came powerful  agents  for  grinding  and  wearing  away  the  surface  over  which 
they  passed.  Preglacial  ridges  and  hills  were  rubbed  down,  valleys  were  filled 
with  debris,  and  the  surface  features  entirely  changed.  The  mixture  of  materials 
deposited  by  the  glacier  is  known  as  boulder  clay,  till,  glacial  drift,  or  simply 
drift. 

A  glacial  advance  prior  to  the  Illinoisan  extended  over  most  of  the  state  and 
covered  Marion  county.  Many  of  the  preglacial  ridges  or  valleys  were  rubbed 
down  or  covered  up  with  drift  by  this  ice  sheet,  so  that  all  surface  indications 
of  preglacial  topography  have  been  completely  obliterated.  The  upland  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  was  covered  to  an  average  depth  of  18  to  25  feet, 
the  deposit  being  more  shallow  to  the  south.  Along  the  southern  border  of  the 
county  the  drift  is  about  12  feet  deep,  and  on  the  ridges  it  is  rarely  over  10  feet 
and  often  no  more  than  5  feet.  The  old  valleys  were  filled  to  depths  of  40  to 
100  feet.  The  comparatively  level  surface  thruout  Marion  county  is  the  result  of 
glacial  denudation  and  deposition. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  glacial  drift  itself  makes  up  only  part  of 
the  actual  soil  material  in  this  county,  for  after  the  Glacial  period  this  region 
was  partially  covered  by  a  stratum  of  wind-blown,  silty  material  known  as  loess. 
This  wind-blown  material  was  the  rock  flour  produced  by  the  grinding  action 
of  the  glacier  which  was  carried  out  and  deposited  in  the  flood  plains  and  river 
bottoms  during  the  time  the  glacier  was  melting  and  receding.  There  it  dried, 
was  picked  up  by  the  wind,  and  carried  over  the  upland  as  dust.  It  was  sorted 
and  re-sorted  by  the  wind,  the  coarser  materials  being  deposited  near  the  source 
and  the  finer  or  lighter  material  being  carried  many  miles.  Marion  county 
received  only  a  shallow  deposit  of  this  silty  loess  because  it  was  some  distance 
from  any  main  drainage  outlet,  The  loessial  deposit  probably  varies  from  a  few 
inches  on  the  east  side  of  the  county  to  a  few  feet  on  the  west, 

The  glacial  drift  which  has  been  exposed  on  or  near  the  surface  during  the 
long  interval  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  its  deposition  has  weathered  into 
finely  divided  particles  with  only  an  occasional  pebble,  chiefly  chert,  remaining. 
It  is  very  difficult,  and  perhaps  impossible,  to  distinguish  between  this  thoroly 
weathered  drift  and  loess.  In  all  probability  this  decomposed  glacial  material 
has  become  mixed  with  the  wind-blown,  silty  loess,  giving  the  county  a  loess-like 


4  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November, 

covering  varying  from  20  inches  in  the  eastern  part  to  about  4  feet  in  the  western 
part.  On  the  steep  slopes,  where  erosion  has  removed  some  or  all  of  this  loess- 
like material,  the  sandy,  pebbly  drift  is  exposed  and  forms  the  soil  material. 

SOIL  DEVELOPMENT 

Glacial  till  and  silty  loess,  principally  a  mixture  of  the  two,  are  the  soil 
materials  from  which  the  soils  of  Marion  county  have  been  derived.  The  agencies 
of  weathering  acted  upon  these  deposits  causing  the  leaching  of  certain  minerals, 
the  accumulation  of  others,  and  the  movement  of  particles  into  layers,  zones,  or 
horizons.  This,  with  the  addition  of  organic  matter  from  the  decay  of  roots  and 
other  plant  growth,  formed  the  soil. 

The  soil  was  probably  much  darker  in  color  and  much  more  productive  in 
the  earlier  periods  of  its  existence  than  at  present.  As  time  went  on  two  im- 
portant changes  occurred  in  the  soil  which  served  to  reduce  its  productivity. 
Shrubs  and  trees  appeared  near  the  stream  channels  and  in  well-drained  areas, 
and  forests  gradually  spread  over  the  prairies.  In  upland  forests  the  residues 
consist  mainly  of  fallen  leaves,  branches,  and  dead  trees,  which  become  almost 
completely  destroyed  either  by  burning  or  by  exposure  to  the  oxygen  of  the  air 
and  to  fungi.  The  second  important  change  which  took  place  in  the  soil  was  the 
concentration  of  the  smaller  soil  particles,  thru  the  downward  movement  of  soil 
water,  into  a  restricted  zone,  known  as  the  B  horizon,  until  their  accumulation 
impaired  underdrainage.  The  impervious  layer  or  "tight  clay"  thus  formed 
has  been  commonly,  tho  erroneously,  called  "hardpan. "  This  condition  caused 
the  soil  to  become  water-logged  in  the  rainy  seasons,  and  extremely  dry  during 
summer  and  fall,  thus  retarding  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter.  The  soils 
of  Marion  county  are  characterized  by  a  strongly  developed  B  horizon,  or  ac- 
cumulative zone. 

PHYSIOGRAPHY  AND   DRAINAGE 

Marion  county  is  one  of  the  most  level  counties  in  the  state.  It  does  not  have 
extremes  in  topography ;  in  fact,  there  is  less  than  150  feet  of  difference  in  the 
altitude  of  the  highest  and  lowest  points  in  the  county.  The  altitudes  of  some 
of  the  places  are  as  follows :  Centralia  500  feet  above  sea  level ;  Fairman,  530 ; 
Kell,  607;  Kinmundy,  609;  Patoka,  512;  Odin,  529;  Salem,  546;  Sandoval, 
490 ;  Vernon,  525.  There  are  three  areas  in  the  county,  each  covering  10  to  20 
square  miles,  which  have  rolling  topography;  one,  in  the  southwest  part  of 
Kinmundy  township  (Township  4  North,  Range  3  East)  :  the  second,  the  east 
half  of  Haines  township  (Township  1  North,  Range  3  East)  ;  and  the  third,  the 
southern  part  of  Centralia  township  (Township  1  North,  Range  1  East).  The 
remainder  of  the  county  is  flat  to  undulating,  except  for  a  few  preglacial  knolls 
which  rise  from  15  to  60  feet  above  the  surrounding  country,  and  for  slopes 
caused  by  recent  stream  erosion  along  the  main  drainage  outlets. 

Marion  county  lies  within  two  well-defined  drainage  basins,  the  Kaskaskia 
and  Little  Wabash  rivers  (see  drainage  map,  Fig.  1).  About  60  percent  of  the 
county  is  drained  by  the  Kaskaskia  system.  The  dividing  line  between  it  and 
the  Little  Wabash  system  lies  in  a  north-south  direction  about  three  miles  east  of 
the  center  of  the  county,  the  line  bending  toward  the  northeast  as  it  approaches 


3IfRJ  E.  JEFFERSON 

(a)    UPLAND   PRAIRIE  SOILS 


I 


R.2  E.  Base 

:    TIO       - 


LID 


ooo  Residual 

200    Ridge  Soils 

300     Lower  lllinoisan  Glaciation 

Scale 

O     V4  -W  1  2MQes 


Gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 
Brown-gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 


(b)    UPLAND  TIMBER  SOILS 

34 

33u     Yellow-gray  silt  loam 


3^|      Yellow  silt  loam 


E 


|  "Nnl 


329       Drab  silt  loam 


Light  gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 


SOIL   SURVEY   MAI 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  AGR 


!% 


Line 


R.3  E 


*COUNTY 


lEEND 


IDGE  SOILS 
|  Gray-red  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 

r'ellow-g-ay  silt  loam 


(d)   RESIDUAL  SOILS 


099  j    Rock  outcrop  (sandstone) 
.  '  ,  I    Small  areas  rock  outcrop 


R.4-  E. 


(e)l300OLD  SWAMP  AND  BOTTOM-LAND  SOILS 
1331  !  Deep  gray  silt  loam 


1354      Mixed  loam 


1321 


Drab  clay  loam 


\P3F   MARION    COUNTY 
RlJLTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 


1926] 


Marion  County 


*ie 


R  2  £ 


B3E 


R  4  E 


Fig.  1. — Drainage  Map  of  Marion  County  Showing  Stream  Courses 

the  northern  border.  Drainage  of  the  western  part  of  the  county  is  west,  then 
south  to  the  Mississippi  river,  while  that  of  the  eastern  part  is  south  to  the  Ohio 
river.    Surface  drainage  is  in  the  early  maturity  stage. 

Even  tho  drainage  channels  are  fairly  well  established  thruout  the  county, 
underdrainage  remains  a  difficult  problem.  The  tight  clay  subsoil  has  proved 
to  be  an  obstacle  which  yet  remains  economically  impossible  to  overcome.  Tiling 
is  not  successful  and  open  surface  ditiching  is  the  only  practical  means  of  remov- 
ing the  excess  water  from  the  land. 


SOIL  GROUPS 
The  soils  of  Marion  county  are  classified  under  the  following  groups: 

(a)  Upland  Prairie  Soils,  including  the  upland  soils  that  have  not  been 
covered  with  heavy  forests. 

(b)  Upland  Timber  Soils,  including  nearly  all  the  upland  areas  which  are 
now,  or  were  formerly,  covered  with  forests. 

(c)  Ridge  Soils,  including  those  formed  on  preglacial  ridges  under  good 
drainage  and  well-aerated  conditions.  (They  are  designated  on  the  map  as  of 
the  200  group,  morainal  soils.) 

(d)  Residual  Soils,  including  the  rock  outcrops  from  which  the  loess  and 
till  have  been  removed  by  erosion. 


Soil  Report  No.  34 


[November, 


(e)  Bottom-Land  Soils,  including  the  overflow  lands  or  flood  plains  along 
streams,  the  swamps,  and  the  poorly  drained  lowlands. 

Table  1  gives  the  area  of  each  type  of  soil  in  Marion  county  and  its  per- 
centage of  the  total  area.  It  will  be  observed  that  about  90  percent  of  the  county 
consists  of  upland  prairie  and  upland  timber  soils  in  about  equal  proportions. 
The  accompanying  map,  appearing  in  two  sections,  shows  the  location  and 
boundary  lines  of  the  various  types. 

For  explanations  concerning  the  classification  of  soils  and  the  interpretation 
of  the  map  and  tables,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  first  part  of  the  Appendix. 


Table  1. — Soil  Types  of  Marion  County,  Illinois 

Soil 
type 
No. 

Name  of  type 

Area  in 
square 
miles 

Area 

in 
acres 

Percent 

of  total 

area 

(a)  Upland  Prairie  Soils  (300) 

330 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay1 

251.87 

.60 

2.82 

161   197 

384 

1  805 

44.55 

328 
329 

Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay 

Drab  Silt  Loam 

.11 

.5' 

255.29 

163  386 

45.16 

(b)  Upland  Timber  Soils  (300) 

334 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam1 

199.73 
41.32 
15.67 

127  827 
26  445 
10  029 

35.32 

335 

Yellow  Silt  Loam 

7.30 

332 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay 

2.77 

256.72 

164  301 

45.39 

(c)  Ridge  Soils  (200) 

233 
234 

Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay1 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam1 

1.57 
2.62 

1  005 

1  677 

.28 
.46 

4.19 

2  682 

.74 

(d)  Residual  Soils  (000) 

099 

Rock  Outcrop 

.01 

6 

.001 

(e)  Old  Swamp  and  Bottom-Land  Soils  (1300) 

1331 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam 

24.85 

23.86 

.08 

15  904 

15  270 

51 

4.40 

1354 

Mixed  Loam ■ 

4.22 

1321 

Drab  Clav  Loam 

.01 

48.79 

31  225 

8.63 

Water 

.46 

294 

.08 

Total 

565 . 46 

361  894 

100.00 

'This  is  the  name  under  which  the  type  was  originally  mapped.  Later  investigation  has 
shown  the  desirability  of  making  certain  differentiations  within  the  type;  these  are  described 
in  the  text. 


R.  I   E 


FAYETTE 


LE 


(a)    UPLAND   PRAIRIE  SOILS 


000  Residual 

200    Ridge  Soils 

300     Lower  lllinoisan  Glaciation 

Scale 

O     V4  %  1 2MOfiS 


Gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 
Brown-gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 


(b)    UPLAND  TIMBER  SOILS 

34 

.T,t     Yellow-gray  silt  loam 


35 
335 


Yellow  silt  loam 


t 


329       Drab  silt  loam 


332    I    Light  gray  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 


SOIL    SURVEY   MAP 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  AGRI 


'Li 


R.3  E 


C.OTrNrn 


R.^  E 


ND 


■  IDGE  SOILS 
I   Gray-red  silt  loam  on  tight  clay 

lYellow-gray  silt  loam 


(d)    RESIDUAL  SOILS 


099      Rock  outcrop  (sandstone) 


(e)  1300  OLD  SWAMP  AND  BOTTOM-LAND  SOILS 
Deep  gray  silt  loam 


i  *  »      Small  areas  rock  outcrop 


r- 


1354  ,   Mixed  loar 


,32, 


Drab  clay  loam 


)F    MARION    COUNTY 
I  LTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 


• 


1926]  Marion  County  7 

INVOICE  OF  THE  ELEMENTS  OF  PLANT  FOOD 
IN  MARION  COUNTY  SOILS 

In  order  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  its  chemical  composition,  each  soil  type 
is  sampled  in  the  manner  described  below  and  subjected  to  chemical  analysis 
for  its  important  plant-food  elements.  For  this  purpose  samples  are  taken 
usually  in  sets  of  three  to  represent  different  strata  in  the  top  40  inches  of  soil; 
namely,  an  upper  stratum  (0  to  6%  inches),  a  middle  stratum  (6%  to  20  inches), 
and  a  lower  stratum  (20  to  40  inches). 

These  sampling  strata  correspond  approximately  in  the  common  kinds  of 
soil  to  2  million  pounds  per  acre  of  dry  soil  in  the  upper  stratum,  and  to  two 
times  and  three  times  this  quantity  in  the  middle  and  lower  strata  respectively. 
This,  of  course,  is  a  purely  arbitrary  division  of  the  soil  section,  very  useful  in 
arriving  at  a  knowledge  of  the  quantity  and  distribution  of  the  elements  of  plant 
food  in  the  soil ;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  strata  seldom  coincide 
with  the  natural  strata  as  they  actually  exist  in  the  soil  and  which  are  referred  to 
in  describing  the  soil  types  a.s  "horizons"  A,  B,  and  C.  By  this  system  of 
sampling  we  have  represented  separately  three  zones  for  plant  feeding.  The 
upper,  or  surface  layer,  includes  at  least  as  much  soil  as  is  ordinarily  turned 
with  the  plow,  and  this  is  the  part  with  which  the  farm  manure,  limestone,  and 
other  fertilizing  materials  are  incorporated. 

The  chemical  analysis  of  a  soil,  obtained  by  the  methods  here  employed, 
gives  the  invoice  of  the  total  stock  of  the  several  plant-food  materials  actually 
present  in  the  soil  strata  sampled  and  analyzed.  It  should  be  understood,  how- 
ever, that  the  rate  of  liberation  from  their  insoluble  forms,  a  matter  of  at  least 
equal  importance,  is  governed  by  many  factors,  and  therefore  is  not  necessarily 
proportional  to  the  total  amounts  present. 

For  convenience  in  making  application  of  the  chemical  analyses,  the  results 
as  presented  here  have  been  translated  from  the  percentage  basis  and  are  given 
in  the  accompanying  tables  in  terms  of  pounds  per  acre.  In  this  the  assumption 
is  made  that  for  ordinary  types  a  stratum  of  dry  soil  of  the  area  of  an  acre  and 
6%  inches  thick  weighs  2  million  pounds.  It  is  understood,  of  course,  that  this 
value  is  only  an  approximation,  but  it  is  believed  that  with  this  understanding, 
it  will  suffice  for  the  purpose  intended.  It  is  a  simple  matter  to  convert  these 
figures  back  to  the  percentage  basis  in  case  one  desires  to  consider  the  information 
in  that  form. 

With  respect  to  the  presence  of  limestone  and  acidity  in  different  strata,  no 
attempt  is  made  to  include  in  the  tabulated  results  figures  purporting  to  represent 
their  averages  in  the  respective  types,  because  of  the  extreme  variations  fre- 
quently found  within  a  given  soil  type.  In  examining  each  soil  type  in  the  field, 
however,  numerous  qualitative  tests  are  made  which  furnish  general  information 
regarding  the  soil  reaction,  and  in  the  discussion  of  the  individual  soil  types 
which  follows,  recommendations  based  upon  these  tests  are  given  concerning  the 
lime  requirement  of  the  respective  types.  Such  recommendations  cannot  be  made 
specific  in  all  cases  because  local  variations  exist,  and  because  the  lime  require- 
ment may  change  from  time  to  time,  especially  under  cropping  and  soil  treat- 
ment.   It  is  often  desirable,  therefore,  to  determine  the  lime  requirement  for  a 


8  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November, 

given  field,  and  in  this  connection  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  section  in  the 
Appendix  dealing  with  the  application  of  limestone  (page  31). 

THE  UPPER  SAMPLING  STRATUM 

In  Table  2  are  reported  the  total  quantities  of  organic  carbon,  nitrogen, 
phosphorus,  sulfur,  potassium,  magnesium,  and  calcium  in  2  million  pounds  of 
the  surface  soil  of  each  type  in  Marion  county. 

In  connection  with  this  table  attention  is  called  to  the  variation  among  the 
soil  types  with  respect  to  their  content  of  the  different  plant-food  elements.  It 
will  be  seen  from  the  analyses  that  the  variation  in  the  organic-carbon  content 
of  the  different  soils  is  accompanied  by  a  similar  variation  in  the  nitrogen  content. 
The  organic-carbon  content,  which  serves  as  a  measure  of  the  total  organic  matter 
present,  is  usually  from  10  to  12  times  that  of  the  total  nitrogen.  This  close 
relationship  is  explained  by  the  well-established  facts  that  all  soil  organic  matter 
contains  nitrogen,  and  that  most  of  the  soil  nitrogen  (usually  98  percent  or  more) 
is  present  in  a  state  of  organic  combination.  This  close  relationship  is  also  main- 
tained in  the  middle  and  lower  sampling  strata,  altho  it  is  generally  a  more 
narrow  ratio  at  the  deeper  levels,  owing  to  the  more  rapid  dissipation  of  soil 
carbon  as  compared  with  nitrogen. 

The  organic  matter,  with  the  accompanying  nitrogen,  shows  some  variation 
among  the  different  soil  types  but  is  comparatively  low  thruout  the  county.  Of 
the  ten  soil  types  for  which  analyses  are  reported  in  this  county,  only  two  types 
contain  more  than  30,000  pounds  of  organic  carbon  in  the  surface  stratum  of  an 
acre.  These  are  Drab  Clay  Loam,  Bottom,  and  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam,  Ridge, 
each  containing  approximately  43,000  pounds  an  acre.  The  remainder  of  the 
soils  in  the  county  range  in  organic-carbon  content  from  a  minimum  of  12,860 
pounds  an  acre  in  Yellow  Silt  Loam,  up  to  29,590  pounds  in  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam, 
Bottom.  The  total  nitrogen  figures  are  correspondingly  low,  being  in  the  latter 
two  types  990  and  2,900  pounds  respectively.  Because  of  the  small  amounts  of 
both  nitrogen  and  organic  matter  in  these  soils,  it  is  particularly  important  to 
grow  legume  crops  frequently  as  green  manures  and  plow  them  down,  in  addi- 
tion to  conserving  and  using  all  the  animal  manure  which  can  be  produced. 

Other  elements  are  not  so  closely  associated  with  each  other  as  are  organic 
matter  and  nitrogen.  However,  there  is  some  degree  of  correlation  between  sulfur, 
another  element  used  by  growing  plants,  and  organic  carbon.  This  is  because  a 
considerable,  tho  varying,  proportion  of  the  sulfur  in  the  soil  exists  in  the 
organic  form,  that  is,  as  a  constituent  of  the  organic  matter.  The  sulfur  content 
of  Marion  county  soils  is  on  the  whole  rather  low.  It  ranges,  in  the  surface  soil, 
from  310  pounds  to  1,100  pounds  an  acre.  However,  only  two  types,  Yellow- 
Gray  Silt  Loam  and  Drab  Clay  Loam,  contain  more  than  520  pounds. 

The  sulfur  available  to  crops  is  affected  not  only  by  the  amount  and  solubility 
of  that  contained  in  the  soil,  but  also  by  the  amount  which  is  brought  down 
from  the  atmosphere  in  the  rainfall.  Sulfur  dioxid  escapes  into  the  air  in  the 
gaseous  products  from  the  burning  of  all  kinds  of  fuel,  particularly  coal,  and 
possibly  to  some  extent  from  the  decay  of  vegetable  and  animal  residues.  The 
gaseous  sulfur  dioxid  is  soluble  in  water  and  consequently  it  is  dissolved  out  of 


1926]  Marion  County  9 

the  air  by  rain  and  brought  to  the  earth.  In  regions  of  heavy  coal  consumption 
the  amount  of  sulfur  thus  added  to  the  soil  is  large.  At  Urbana,  during  the  eight- 
year  period  from  1917  to  1924  there  was  added  to  the  soil  by  the  rainfall  3.5 
pounds  of  sulfur  per  acre  per  month,  as  an  average.  Similar  observations 
have  been  made  in  localities  in  southern  Illinois  for  shorter  periods.  At  Sparta, 
in  Randolph  county,  in  1921,  there  was  added  in  the  rainfall  3.51  pounds  of 
sulfur  an  acre  in  May,  7.78  pounds  in  August,  and  9.96  pounds  in  September. 
At  Ewing,  in  Franklin  county,  during  the  entire  season  of  1921  the  average 
monthly  precipitation  contained  2.27  pounds  of  sulfur  an  acre.  These  figures 
will  afford  some  idea  of  the  amount  of  sulfur  added  by  rain  and  also  of  the  wide 
variation  in  these  amounts  under  different  conditions.  On  the  whole,  these  facts 
would  indicate  that  the  sulfur  added  from  the  atmosphere  sufficiently  supple- 
ments that  contained  in  the  soil,  so  that  a  need  for  sulfur  fertilizers  is  not  likely 
in  Marion  county. 

The  potassium  content  of  the  surface  soil  ranges  from  24,680  pounds  an 
acre  in  Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  to  35,300  pounds  in  Drab  Clay 
Loam.  From  a  quantitative  point  of  view,  the  least  of  these  amounts  is  far  above 
maximum  crop  requirements.  However,  the  rate  at  which  potassium  is  liberated 
in  available  condition  from  these  large  reserves  varies  widely,  and  the  state- 
ments concerning  the  use  of  potassium  fertilizers  in  another  part  of  this  report 
are  an  indication  that  crop  yields  may  be  limited  on  some  of  the  soils  of  Marion 
county  by  a  deficiency  of  available  potassium. 

The  phosphorus  content  of  the  soils  of  the  county  is  generally  low,  ranging 
from  490  pounds  an  acre  in  Yellow  Silt  Loam  up  to  1,040  pounds  in  Drab  Clay 
Loam. 

The  amounts  of  soil  calcium  are  uniformly  low,  but  not  lower  than  is  to  be 
expected  in  mature  soils  which  are  acid.  Soil  acidity  and  calcium  deficiencies 
are  very  frequently,  but  not  always,  associated.  The  smallest  amount  of  calcium 
in  the  Marion  county  soils  analyzed,  3,650  pounds  an  acre,  is  found  in  Yellow- 
Gray  Silt  Loam.  The  largest  amount  found  is  8,160  pounds  in  Drab  Clay  Loam. 
These  are  all  non-carbonate  soils.  Calcium  is  utilized  by  crops  in  fairly  large 
amounts,  so  that  in  acid  soils  low  in  calcium  content,  this  element  possibly  may 
not  become  available  rapidly  enough  to  supply  crop  needs.  The  liming  of  such 
soils,  however,  will  supply  any  calcium  deficiencies  in  addition  to  the  correcting 
of  acidity. 

The  content  of  magnesium  in  Marion  county  soils  averages  about  25  per- 
cent higher  than  that  of  calcium.  This  preponderance  of  magnesium  is  a  frequent 
occurrence  in  heavy,  mature  soils  which  have  been  subjected  to  much  leaching, 
and,  as  in  the  case  here,  is  most  pronounced  in  the  lower  levels.  The  smallest 
amount  of  magnesium  found  is  4,230  pounds  an  acre.  Considering  the  crop 
requirements  for  this  element,  it  is  doubtful  whether  magnesium  ever  becomes 
a  limiting  factor  in  crop  production.  This  statement,  however,  does  not  imply 
the  superiority  of  high-calcium  limestone  as  a  soil  amendment,  The  usual  com- 
mercial grades  of  high-calcium  and  magnesian  limestones  are  approximately 
equal  in  neutralizing  value,  and  both  types  of  stone  also  contain  an  abundance 
of  calcium  to  make  good  anv  soil  deficiencies  in  this  element. 


10 


Soil  Report  No.  34 


[November, 


THE  MIDDLE  AND  LOWER  SAMPLING  STRATA 

In  Tables  3  and  4  are  recorded  the  amounts  of  the  plant-food  elements  in 
the  middle  and  lower  sampling  strata.  In  comparing  these  strata  with  the  upper 
stratum,  or  with  each  other,  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  data  as  given 
for  the  middle  and  lower  sampling  strata  are  on  the  basis  of  4  million  and  6 
million  pounds  of  soil,  and  should  therefore  be  divided  by  2  and  3,  respectively, 
before  they  are  compared  with  each  other  or  with  the  data  for  the  upper  stratum, 
which  is  on  a  basis  of  2  million  pounds. 

With  this  in  mind,  it  will  be  noted  in  comparing  the  three  strata  with  each 
other,  that  all  of  the  soil  types  diminish  rather  rapidly  in  organic  matter  and 
nitrogen  with  increasing  depth,  and  that  this  diminution  is  very  marked  even  in 
the  middle  stratum.  The  percentages  of  the  other  elements  remain  about  the 
same,  or  increase  slightly  in  the  lower  strata  with  the  exception  of  sulfur  and 
phosphorus,  which  in  some  cases  decrease  with  increasing  depth.  Phosphorus 
has  frequently  been  found  to  be  low  in  the  middle  stratum,  altho  this  condition  is 
not  so  prevalent  in  Marion  county  as  is  usually  the  case.    It  may  be  attributed 


Table  2. — Plant-Food  Elements  in  the  Soils  of  Marion  County,  Illinois 

Upper  Sampling  Stratum:  About  0  to  6%  Inches 

Average  pounds  per  acre  in  2  million  pounds  of  dry  soil 


Soil 
type 
No. 

Soil  type 

Total 
organic 
carbon 

Total 
nitro- 
gen 

Total 
phos- 
phorus 

Total 

sulfur 

Total 
potas- 
sium 

Total 
magne- 
sium 

Total 
calcium 

Upland  Prairie  Soils  (300) 

330 

328 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay.  • 

Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 

Clay 

28  550 

24  520 

26  820 

2  840 

2  520 
2  840 

890 

540 
620 

520 

360 
440 

25  730 

27  060 
25  810 

4  230 

4  680 

5  450 

4  480 
4  420 

329 

Drab  Silt  Loam 

5  490 

Upland  Timber  Soils  (300) 

334 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam 

23  010 

12  860 

22  930 

2  140 
990 

2  050 

610 
490 

720 

430 
310 

400 

29  410 
35  210 

24  680 

5  540 
7  590 

5  530 

3  650 

335 

Yellow  Silt  Loam 

3  760 

332 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay 

4  010 

Ridge  Soils  (200) 

233 

Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay 

27  380 
43  180 

2  720 
4  000 

760 

780 

460 
1   100 

27  300 

28  640 

5  200 

7  640 

4  320 

234 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam 

5  620 

Old  Swamp  and  Bottom-Land  Soils  (1300) 

1331 
1354 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam 

Mixed  Loam1 

29  590 

2  900 

700 

510 

33  070 

7  300 

6  620 

1321 

Drab  Clay  Loam 

43  960 

4  180 

1  040 

1  100 

35  300 

10  920 

8  160 

LIMESTONE  AND  SOIL  ACIDITY.— In  connection  with  these  tabulated  data  it  should 
be  explained  that  the  figures  for  limestone  content  and  soil  acidity  are  omitted  not  because  of  any 
lack  of  importance  of  these  factors,  but  rather  because  of  the  peculiar  difficulty  of  presenting  in 
the  form  of  general  numerical  averages  reliable  information  concerning  the  limestone  requirement 
for  a  given  soil  type.  A  general  statement,  however,  will  be  found  concerning  the  lime  require- 
ment of  the  respective  soil  types  in  connection  with  the  discussions  which  follow. 

'On  account  of  the  heterogeneous  character  of  Mixed  Loam,  chemical  analyses  are  not  included 
for  this  type. 


1926] 


Marion  County 


11 


Table  3. — Plant-Food  Elements  in  the  Soils  of  Marion  County,  Illinois 
Middle  Sampling  Stratum:  About  634  to  20  Inches 

Average  pounds  per  acre  in  4  million  pounds  of  dry  soil 


Soil 
type 
No. 


Soil  type 


Total 
organic 
carbon 


Total 
nitro- 
gen 


Total 
phos- 
phorus 


Total 
sulfur 


Total 
potas- 
sium 


Total 
magne- 
sium 


Total 
calcium 


Upland  Prairie  Soils  (300) 

330 
328 

329 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay. . 
Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 

Clay 

Drab  Silt  Loam 

27  280 

44  400 
40  620 

3  070 

3  560 
3  270 

1  050 

1  400 
1  200 

720 

840 
340 

55  540 

57  640 

42  560 

9  770 

9  760 
9  800 

8  050 

7  280 
10  830 

Upland  Timber  Soils  (300) 


334 
335 
332 


Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam. 

Yellow  Silt  Loam 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay 


15  120 
11  730 

15  540 


1  880 
1  550 

1  960 


1  230 
970 

1  340 


500 
450 

580 


62 
70 


220 
750 


54  140 


11  260 

12  710 

11  360 


4  670 
4  690 

6  680 


Ridge  Soils  (200) 

233 
234 

Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 

Clay 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam 

29  000 
54  400 

3  480 
5  520 

1  240 
1  360 

2 
2 

60  680 
57  200 

14  880 
20  520 

7  760 

8  160 

Old  Swamp  and  Bottom-Land  Soils  (1300) 


1331 
1354 
1321 


Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam . 

Mixed  Loam1 

Drab  Clay  Loam 


20  770 
38  480 


3  430 


3  800 


1   190 


1  360 


570 


090 


12  910 


07 

7i  320 


9  110 
16  040 


LIMESTONE  AND  SOIL  ACIDITY.— See  note  in  Table  2. 


•On  account  of  the  heterogeneous  character  of  Mixed  Loam,  chemical  analyses  are  not  in- 
cluded for  this  type. 

2No  analysis  available;  sample  exhausted. 


to  the  removal  of  phosphorus  from  this  stratum  by  the  roots  of  growing  plants 
and  subsequent  incorporation  with  the  surface  soil  in  the  accumulated  plant 
residues. 

It  is  frequently  of  interest  to  know  the  total  supply  of  a  plant-food  element 
accessible  to  the  growing  crops.  While  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  this  information 
exactly,  especially  for  the  deeper-rooted  crops,  it  seems  probable  that  practically 
all  of  the  feeding  range  of  the  roots  of  most  of  our  common  field  crops  is  included 
in  the  upper  40  inches  of  soil.  By  adding  together  for  a  given  soil  type  the 
corresponding  figures  in  Tables  2,  3,  and  4,  the  total  amounts  of  the  respective 
plant-food  elements  to  a  depth  of  40  inches  may  be  ascertained. 

Considered  in  this  manner  the  tables  reveal  a  considerable  variation  with 
respect  to  the  relative  abundance  of  the  various  elements  among  the  different  soil 
types,  as  measured  by  crop  requirements.  We  may  compare  in  this  way  two 
extreme  soil  types  in  the  county,  namely,  Drab  Clay  Loam,  Bottom,  and  Yellow 
Silt  Loam,  Upland.  The  respective  amounts  of  nitrogen  in  the  two  soils  to  a 
depth  of  40  inches  are  11,640  and  4,100  pounds  an  acre,  which  is  equivalent  to 
the  nitrogen  contained  in  the  same  number  of  bushels  of  corn,  since  a  bushel  of 
corn  contains  approximately  a  pound  of  nitrogen.  The  Drab  Clay  Loam  thus 
contains  nearly  three  times  as  much  of  this  element  as  the  Yellow  Silt  Loam. 


12 


Soil  Report  No.  34 


[November, 


Table  4. — Plant-Food  Elements  in  the  Soils  of  Marion  County,  Illinois 
Lower  Sampling  Stratum:  About  20  to  40  Inches 

Average  pounds  per  acre  in  6  million  pounds  of  dry  soil 


Soil 
type 
No. 


Soil  type 


Total 

Total 

Total 

Total 

Total 

Total 

organic 

nitro- 

phos- 

sulfur 

potas- 

magne- 

carbon 

gen 

phorus 

sium 

sium 

Total 
calcium 


Upland  Prairie  Soils  (300) 


330 
328 

329 


Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay. . 
Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 

Clay 

Drab  Silt  Loam 


26  710 

3  300 

2  080 

970 

83  020 

28  060 

26  820 
39  620 

3  660 
3  920 

2  460 
1  500 

660 
540 

86  520 
76  720 

27  060 
20  200 

18  160 

11  520 
16  060 


Upland  Timber  Soils  (300) 


334 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam 

18  920 
8  560 

16  290 

2  100 

1  560 

2  070 

2  040 
1  340 

1  800 

500 
640 

960 

91  770 
101  940 

85  470 

25  220 

27  140 

28  590 

12  110 

335 

Yellow  Silt  Loam 

9  900 

332 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay 

17  910 

Ridge  Soils  (200) 


233 


234 


Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 

Clay.. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam 


25  020 
30  420 


3  360 
3  780 


1  800 
1  440 


87  720 
98  100 


19  520 
35  760 


16  620 
20  700 


Old  Swamp  and  Bottom-Land  Soils  (1300) 


1331 
1354 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam 

Mixed  Loam1 

15  520 

2  280 

2  220 

640 

104  660 

26  060 

10  380 

1321 

Drab  Clay  Loam 

33  600 

3  660 

2  040 

2 

107  040 

35  880 

25  680 

LIMESTONE  AND  SOIL  ACIDITY.— See  note  in  Table  2. 


'On  account  of  the  heterogeneous  character  of  Mixed  Loam,  chemical  analyses  are  not  included 
for  this  type. 

2No  analysis  available;  sample  exhausted. 

Drab  Clay  Loam  also  contains  considerably  more  phosphorus  than  Yellow  Silt 
Loam.  The  former  contains  4,440  pounds  of  phosphorus,  which  is  equivalent  to 
25,990  bushels  of  corn,  as  compared  with  2,800  pounds  in  the  latter,  equivalent 
to  16,510  bushels  of  corn. 

A  comparison  of  the  total  amounts  of  potassium  in  the  different  soil  types  is 
of  little  direct  importance  when  it  is  considered  that  the  soil  containing  the 
smallest  total  amount  of  this  element  (Drab  Silt  Loam,  329)  has  in  it  potassium 
equivalent  to  that  contained  in  three-quarters  of  a  million  bushels  of  corn.  This 
large  total  supply  of  potassium  should  not  be  interpreted  to  mean  that  there 
can  be  no  need  for  additions  of  potassium  salts  in  crop  production,  for  potassium 
minerals  in  the  soil  become  soluble  very  slowly,  and  upon  the  rate  of  liberation 
during  the  growing  season  rests  the  answer  to  the  question  whether  potassium 
should  be  supplied  in  a  form  readily  available  to  crops. 

The  two  soil  types  considered  above  vary  widely  in  calcium  content,  the 
amounts  contained  to  a  depth  of  40  inches  being  49,880  pounds  in  Drab  Clay 
Loam  and  only  18,350  pounds  in  Yellow  Silt  Loam.  The  relative  amount  of 
calcium  is  not  of  so  great  importance  directly  in  connection  with  the  corn  crop 
as  it  is  with  respect  to  legumes.  A  ton  of  red  clover  hay,  for  example,  contains 
approximately  29  pounds  of  calcium.  These  two  soils  therefore  contain  as  much 
calcium  as  would  be  removed  in  1,720  and  630  tons  of  red  clover  hay  respectively. 


1926]  Marion  County  13 

The  above  statements  are  not  intended  to  imply  that  it  is  possible  to  predict 
how  long  it  might  be  before  a  certain  soil  would  become  exhausted  under  a 
given  system  of  cropping.  Neither  do  the  figures  necessarily  indicate  the  imme- 
diate procedure  to  be  followed  in  the  improvement  of  a  soil,  for  other  factors 
enter  into  consideration  aside  from  merely  the  amount  of  plant-food  elements 
present  in  the  soil.  Much  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  crops  to  be  grown,  as  to 
their  ability  to  utilize  plant-food  materials,  and  much  depends  upon  the  con- 
dition of  the  plant-food  substances  themselves  as  to  their  availability.  Finally, 
in  planning  the  detailed  procedure  for  the  improvement  of  a  soil,  there  enter 
for  consideration  all  the  economic  factors  involved  in  any  fertilizer  treatment. 
Such  figures  do,  however,  furnish  an  inventory  of  the  total  stocks  of  the  plant- 
food  elements  that  can  possibly  be  drawn  upon ;  and  in  this  way  these  chemical 
data  contribute  fundamental  information  for  the  intelligent  planning,  in  a  broad 
way,  of  systems  of  soil  management  that  will  conserve  and  improve  the  fertility 
of  the  land. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  SOIL  TYPES 

(a)  UPLAND  PRAIRIE  SOILS 

In  the  following  descriptions  of  soil  types  an  effort  is  made  to  describe  the 
types  which  occur  in  Marion  county  as  they  are  recognized  at  the  present  time. 
It  will  be  observed  that  several  of  the  types  as  they  appear  on  the  soil  map,  which 
was  completed  in  1915,  are  now  recognized  to  include  two  or  more  types.  The 
topographic  position  and  the  situations  in  which  each  of  these  new  types  occur 
is  stated  so  that,  in  most  cases,  they  can  easily  be  recognized  in  the  field. 

The  upland  prairie  soils  of  Marion  county  occupy  255.29  square  miles,  nearly 
one-half  of  the  total  area  of  the  county.  They  range  in  color  of  surface  soil  from 
gray  to  grayish  brown,  owing  to  the  variation  in  the  amount  and  condition  of  the 
organic  matter.  The  surface  color  of  the  prairie  soils  is  darker  than  that  of  the 
timbered  soils,  owing  to  their  higher  content  of  organic  matter,  derived  very 
largely  from  the  roots  of  prairie  grasses.  If  the  present  climatic  conditions  have 
prevailed  ever  since  the  Glacial  period,  it  is  unlikely  that  the  soil  ever  contained 
any  more  organic  matter  or  was  any  darker  than  at  present.  It  is  probable, 
however,  that  more  favorable  climatic  conditions  prevailed  at  some  time  after 
the  retreat  of  the  glacier,  and  that  the  soils  were  richer  and  darker,  containing 
more  organic  matter  which  has  since  been  reduced  by  the  present  rather  high 
amount  of  rainfall,  relatively  open  winters,  and  hot,  diy  summers.  Because  of 
their  great  age  and  loss  of  mineral  plant  food,  the  common  prairie  soils  of  southern 
Illinois  have  become  incapable  of  supporting  a  luxuriant  plant  growth. 

The  reason  for  the  existence  of  so  large  an  extent  of  prairie  soil  in  the  state 
remains  debatable.  Normally  forests  invade  and  spread  over  the  land,  particu- 
larly in  a  country  where  the  climate  and  rainfall  are  so  nearly  optimum  for  the 
development  of  forest  vegetation  as  here.  This  prairie  condition  may  be  due  to 
unnatural  or  accidental  causes,  such  as  forest  fires  continually  nipping  the  new 
growth ;  but  it  more  likely  is  due  to  the  drainage  conditions  in  the  soil.  Most 
of  the  prairie  land  is  relatively  flat,  and  prior  to  artificial  drainage  was  probably 


14  Soil  Eeport  No.  34  [November, 

saturated  with  water  or  even  covered  with  shallow  lakes  or  ponds  during  a  portion 
of  each  year.  These  shallow  lakes  or  ponds  were  probably  dry  only  in  late  summer 
and  fall,  at  least  not  more  than  a  few  months  each  year.  Forest  vegetation  would 
have  difficulty  in  making  a  start  in  a  soil  which  remained  water-logged  most  of 
the  year,  while  the  prairie  vegetation  which  matures  in  a  relatively  short  time 
could  make  some  growth  during  each  dry  season. 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  (330) 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  as  it  was  mapped  in  Marion  county,  covers 
an  area  of  251.87  square  miles,  or  nearly  45  percent  of  the  total  area  of  the 
county.  This  type  as  originally  mapped  is  now  recognized  to  include  several 
types,  each  with  a  distinct  profile,  and  each  of  which  is  associated  with  a  char- 
acteristic topographic  expression.  The  original  name,  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay,  has  been  retained  for  the  designation  of  one  of  these  types  and  new  names 
applied  to  the  others.  The  new  names  adopted  are  as  follows:  Deep  Gray  Silt 
Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  Gray  Silt  Loan  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay,  Yellowish 
Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay,  and  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Reddish 
Brown  Clay.  The  description  of  each  of  these  types  follows,  together  with  a 
statement  as  to  its  occurrence  and  suggestions  for  its  management. 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  occurs  in  depressions  at  the  heads  of 
small  streams  or  drainage  channels,  at  the  base  of  long  slopes,  and  in  level  basins. 
The  areas  usually  are  not  large,  but  the  type  is  rather  extensive  thruout  the 
county.  This  type  has  received,  and  in  many  places  is  still  receiving,  a  silty 
wash,  brought  down  in  the  run-off  as  sheet  erosion  during  hard  rains,  from  ad- 
joining higher  land.  These  low-lying,  level  areas  originally  were  poorly  drained 
and  marshy,  but  now  surface  drainage  is  fairly  well  established.  Inasmuch  as 
the  impervious  layer  lies  moderately  deep,  underdrainage  can  be  successfully 
provided  in  many  places. 

The  At  horizon,  0  to  10  inches,  is  a  silt  loam,  brownish  gray  in  color,  mealy, 
laminated,  and  friable  in  structure.  In  certain  areas  black  iron  concretions  are 
found  in  this  horizon.  The  A2  horizon,  10  to  24  inches,  is  a  light  brownish  gray 
to  gray  silt  loam,  mealy,  friable,  and  iron-stained.  A  thin,  ashy-gray  layer  occa- 
sionally occurs  below  20  inches.  The  B  horizon,  24  to  35  inches,  is  a  mottled, 
pale  yellow  clay,  plastic,  compact,  and  somewhat  impervious.  Iron  concretions 
are  usually  present  in  abundance.  Occasionally  this  horizon  has  a  drabbish  cast, 
which  probably  is  due  to  an  excessively  marshy  condition.  The  C  horizon,  below 
35  inches,  is  a  mottled,  pale  yellow,  friable,  clayey  silt  loam. 

Management. — Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  medium  to  strongly 
acid  to  a  depth  of  35  or  40  inches.  The  portion  of  the  type  which  occupies  gentle 
slopes  has  good  surface  drainage  and,  with  an  accessible  outlet,  tile  drainage  will 
work  satisfactorily  on  either  the  gentle  slopes  or  on  the  low-lying  level  areas 
because  of  the  depth  at  which  the  impervious  layer  or  "tight  clay"  lies. 

This  type  is  low  in  organic  matter  and  the  first  step  in  increasing  its  pro- 
ductivity is  to  add  sufficient  limestone  for  the  growing  of  clover  and  then  to 
make  one  of  the  clovers,  preferably  sweet  clover,  one  of  the  regular  crops  in  the 


1926]  Marion  County  15 

rotation.  After  the  organic  matter  and  nitrogen  deficiency  has  thus  been  taken 
care  of,  trial  should  be  made  of  one  or  more  of  the  commonly  used  phosphates. 
This  type,  properly  managed,  is  one  of  the  best  upland  soils  in  the  county,  and 
can  be  better  utilized  for  the  production  of  grain  crops  than  any  other  upland 
soil. 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  found  on  the  flat  and  gently  undulating 
plains.  This  type  includes  possibly  one-third  of  the  area  of  the  entire  type  as 
it  is  shown  on  the  soil  map  of  the  county.  The  surface  material  is  loess-like,  but 
sandy,  pebbly,  glacial  till  is  encountered  at  depths  varying  from  10  to  50  inches. 
This  type  presents  the  normal  soil  profile  developed  under  conditions  of  exceed- 
ingly poor  drainage.  Its  topography  is  flat  to  gently  undulating,  and  both  the 
surface  and  underdrainage  are  very  poor. 

Numerous  small  areas  known  as  ' '  slick  spots  "  or  "  scalds ' '  occur,  which  are 
easily  recognized  by  their  light  gray  or  greenish  gray  color  in  the  lower  horizons 
when  exposed  in  road  cuts  and  along  drainage  channels.  Their  formation  is 
probably  associated  with  the  movement  of  seepage  water  which  has  resulted  in 
the  accumulation  of  mineral  salts  and  changes  in  the  soil  profile.  Iron  and  lime 
are  always  present  to  some  degree,  and  often  in  concretionary  form.  The  con- 
centration of  salts  in  these  areas  inhibits  plant  development  and  often  is  so  strong 
that  plant  growth  is  prevented  entirely. 

The  Ax  horizon,  0  to  8  inches,  is  a  brownish  gray,  mealy,  laminated,  friable 
silt  loam.  The  A2  horizon,  8  to  17  inches,  is  an  ashy,  light  gray,  friable  silt  loam. 
The  B  horizon,  17  to  28  inches,  is  a  mottled,  yellow,  plastic,  impervious  tight  clay, 
often  containing  some  sand  and  small  pebbles  mixed  with  black  iron  concretions. 
In  the  "slick  spots"  the  B,  or  tight  clay,  horizon  usually  occurs  immediately 
under  the  Aa,  or  surface,  and  presents  a  very  pale,  greenish  yellow  appearance, 
with  numerous  small  pebbles  present.  The  Ca  horizon,  below  28  inches,  is  a 
mottled,  yellow,  friable,  silty  clay  loam  containing  many  iron  concretions,  and 
having  a  distinct  columnar  structure  for  the  first  8  or  10  inches. 

Management. — Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  low  in  nitrogen  and  organic 
matter  and  is  strongly  acid.  It  has  the  same  management  requirements  as  Deep 
Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  described  above,  but  will  respond  less  favorably 
to  good  farming,  because  drainage  is  very  poor,  owing  to  the  nearness  of  the 
plastic  subsoil  to  the  surface  and  the  presence  of  numerous  scald  spots.  Tile 
cannot  be  used  to  improve  drainage  on  this  type.  If  this  land  is  to  be  farmed 
efficiently,  it  is  necessary  to  use  limestone  and  grow  sweet  clover.  Any  addi- 
tional treatment  should  be  on  a  trial  basis.  There  are  indications  that  potash 
salts  may  be  used  at  a  profit  for  corn  and  trial  applications  of  rock  or  acid  phos- 
phate should  be  made  for  wheat. 

This  type  produces  good  timothy  hay  following  the  application  of  limestone 
and  growth  of  sweet  clover.  Redtop  is  a  common  crop  on  this  soil,  both  hay  and 
seed  being  produced.  In  growing  the  above  crops,  some  sort  of  rotation,  including 
a  legume,  should  be  used  so  that  the  yields  may  be  maintained.  The  yield  of  hay 
or  seed  usually  shows  a  marked  decrease  after  four  or  five  years  of  continuous 
cropping.    This  soil  is  also  adapted  to  growing  apples.    It  is  not  a  good  soil  for 


16  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November, 

corn,  but  will  produce  satisfactory  yields  in  seasons  which  are  climatically  favor- 
able, if  sweet  clover  has  been  grown  and  turned  under.  Wheat  also  may  be  grown, 
but  a  relatively  large  proportion  of  poor  yields  may  be  expected. 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay  occurs  on  undulating  to 
gently  rolling  areas.  It  is  equally  as  extensive  thruout  the  county  as  Gray  Silt 
Loam  On  Tight  Clay.  The  loess-like  surface  covering  is  about  30  inches  deep 
where  the  sandy  pebbly  drift  is  encountered.  This  type  was  formed  under  poor 
to  fair  surface  drainage,  as  is  indicated  by  the  undulating  to  gently  rolling 
topography  and  by  the  character  of  its  profile.  Slick  spots  occur  on  this  type  but 
are  not  numerous. 

The  A1  horizon,  0  to  7  inches,  is  a  brownish  gray,  mealy,  friable  silt  loam 
with  a  distinctly  laminated  structure.  The  A2  horizon,  7  to  17  inches,  is  an 
ashy-gray,  friable  silt  loam.  The  A3  horizon,  17  to  21  inches,  is  an  orange- 
mottled,  ashy-gray,  slightly  compacted  silt  loam.  The  B±  horizon,  21  to  26 
inches,  is  an  orange-mottled,  gray,  plastic,  impervious  tight  clay.    The  B2  horizon, 

26  to  31  inches,  is  a  pale  yellow  mottled,  very  compact,  plastic  clay  with  numerous 
iron  concretions.  The  C  horizon,  below  31  inches,  is  a  pale  yellow  or  gray, 
mottled,  silty  clay  loam  with  iron  concretions,  and  a  columnar  structure  for  the 
first  8  or  10  inches.  This  horizon  is  more  friable  than  either  the  Bx  or  B2  horizon 
but  is  not  so  friable  as  the  C  horizon  of  the  two  types  previously  described. 

Management. — This  type  requires  the  same  management  as  Gray  Silt  Loam 
On  Tight  Clay.  It  has  good  surface  drainage  and  is  a  somewhat  better  soil  than 
Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay. 

Yellowish  Gray  [Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay  occurs  on  the 
rolling  land.  The  areas  of  this  type  are  rather  small  but  are  scattered  thruout 
the  county.  The  loess-like  surface  covering  is  shallow,  seldom  more  than  18 
inches  deep,  the  material  below  this  being  rather  sandy.  On  account  of  the 
rolling  topography,  a  profile  was  developed  under  fair  to  good  surface  drainage 
conditions.  This  rolling  topography  is  due  to  the  presence  of  preglacial  knolls 
which  were  not  smoothed  off  by  the  glacier,  and  to  an  uneven  deposit  of  glacial 
drift.    Most  of  these  areas  have  had  a  light  forest  growth  on  them  at  some  time. 

The  A1  horizon,  0  to  6  inches,  is  a  brownish  yellow  to  brownish  gray,  friable 
silt  loam  with  laminated  structure.  The  A2  horizon,  6  to  12  inches,  is  a  yellowish 
gray,  mealy,  friable  silt  loam.  The  A3  horizon,  12  to  16  inches,  is  an  orange- 
mottled,  yellowish  gray,  slightly  compacted,  silty  clay  loam.  The  Bl  horizon, 
16  to  22  inches,  is  an  orange-mottled,  yellowish  gray,  plastic,  impervious  tight 
clay.  The  B2  horizon,  22  to  27  inches,  is  a  yellow,  mottled,  plastic,  very  compact 
clay  with  iron  concretions,  and  often  is  sandy  and  pebbly.    The  C  horizon,  below 

27  inches,  is  a  yellow,  mottled,  medium-friable,  silty  clay  loam,  containing  heavy 
iron  concretions,  sand,  and  small  pebbles. 

Management. — This  type  is  medium  to  strongly  acid  in  the  surface  soil  and 
strongly  acid  in  the  subsoil.  It  is  good  orchard  land  and  is  also  well  adapted 
for  small  fruit  and  vegetable  growing.  Sufficient  limestone  should  be  applied 
to  grow  sweet  clover  if  orchard  is  to  be  set ;  and  if  vegetables  are  to  be  grown, 
the  same  procedure  should  be  followed  unless  liberal  applications  of  manure  can 
be  made,  tho  an  excess  of  limestone  should  be  avoided. 


1926]  Marion  County  17 

This  soil  may  be  used  for  the  general  farm  crops,  and  if  so  used,  should  be 
given  the  same  management  as  recommended  for  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On 
Tight  Clay,  page  14. 

Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Reddish  Brown  Clay  occurs  on  low  knolls  and  slopes 
where  drainage  has  been  very  good.  This  type  is  not  extensive.  The  sandy, 
pebbly  till  is  rather  close  to  the  surface ;  in  fact,  the  loess-like  covering  is  seldom 
more  than  10  inches  thick.  Sheet  erosion  probably  has  removed  some  of  the 
surface  material  from  these  areas. 

The  A2  horizon,  0  to  9  inches,  is  a  brownish  gray,  friable  silt  loam.  The  Bx 
horizon,  9  to  17  inches,  is  a  reddish  brown,  very  compact,  somewhat  impervious, 
plastic  clay.  The  C  horizon,  below  17  inches,  is  a  brown  or  drabbish  yellow, 
mottled,  sandy  or  silty  clay  loam,  containing  iron  concretions  and  small  pebbles. 

Management. — The  very  limited  extent  of  this  type  makes  its  management 
of  concern  only  to  a  few  individuals.  Anyone  who  recognizes  the  type  as  occur- 
ring on  his  farm  is  asked  to  write  to  the  Experiment  Station  for  information 
regarding  it. 

Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  (328) 

The  total  area  of  Brown-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  as  mapped  in  this 
county  is  less  than  one  square  mile.  It  is  all  confined  to  the  south-central  part 
of  the  county.  The  topography  of  this  type  is  undulating,  and  the  drainage  is 
poor.  It  differs  from  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  described  above,  only 
in  that  it  has  a  slightly  deeper  and  darker  colored  A  horizon.  The  description 
and  management  of  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  (page  14)  apply  also 
to  this  type. 

Drab  Silt  Loam  (329) 

Drab  Silt  Loam  is  not  extensive,  and  is  confined  principally  to  three  areas 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  This  type  occurs  in  low  flat  places  which 
originally  were  very  poorly  drained  and  swampy.  The  areas  have  received  a 
deposit  of  silt,  varying  in  thickness  from  several  inches  to  more  than  a  foot,  which 
was  brought  down  by  sheet  erosion  from  the  surrounding  slopes.  The  drainage 
of  this  type  can  be  improved  by  artificial  methods,  such  as  deep  surface  ditching 
and  tiling.  This  type  closely  resembles  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay 
described  above. 

The  Ax  horizon,  0  to  11  inches,  is  a  dark  gray,  laminated,  friable  silt  loam. 
The  A2  horizon,  11  to  26  inches,  is  a  drabbish  gray,  friable  silt  loam,  containing 
yellow  iron  concretions.  The  B  horizon,  which  is  variable  and  often  deeper  than 
26  to  38  inches,  is  a  yellow,  mottled,  drabbish  gray,  compact,  medium-plastic 
clay,  containing  numerous  iron  concretions.  The  C  horizon,  below  38  inches,  is  a 
pale  yellow,  mottled,  more  friable  silty  clay  loam,  containing  iron  concretions. 

Management. — The  reader  is  referred  to  the  discussion  of  the  management 
of  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  page  14,  for  suggestions  regarding  the 
management  of  Drab  Silt  Loam. 


. 


18  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November, 

(b)  UPLAND  TIMBER  SOILS 

The  upland  timber  soils  of  Marion  county  occupy  256.72  square  miles,  about 
the  same  area  as  that  of  the  upland  prairie  soils.  Timber  appears  first  near  the 
stream  channels  where  the  soil  is  well  drained,  and  gradually  spreads  out  over  the 
prairies  as  the  drainage  lines  are  extended.  The  soil  map  of  this  county  shows 
clearly  how  the  timber  has  spread  from  the  main  drainage  outlets.  It  also  shows 
that  in  the  well-drained  rolling  land,  the  timber  has  spread  farther  away  from 
the  main  drainage  channels,  than  in  the  flat,  poorly  drained  areas.  Much  of  the 
original  timber  of  this  county  has  been  cut  off,  and  the  areas  cultivated,  but  the 
soil  still  retains  the  effects  left  by  the  long-continued  forest  growth. 

Timber  soils  are  characterized  by  a  yellowish  or  yellowish  gray  color,  which 
is  due  in  part  to  the  low  organic-matter  content.  In  forests  the  vegetable  material 
from  trees  accumulates  upon  the  surface,  and  is  either  burned  or  suffers  almost 
complete  decay  by  being  exposed  to  the  air.  Grasses,  with  their  abundant  amounts 
of  humus-forming  roots,  grow  but  sparsely  because  of  the  shade.  Moreover,  the 
organic  matter  that  had  accumulated  before  the  timber  began  growing  is  dissi- 
pated thru  various  decomposition  processes,  with  the  result  that  the  nitrogen  and 
organic-matter  contents  of  the  soil  are  low. 

Japanese  clover,  or  lespedeza,  a  legume  which  will  grow  in  a  strongly  acid 
soil,  has  spread  over  the  timber  soil  of  this  region.  It  affords  some  pasture  but 
is  particularly  beneficial  in  retarding  erosion  on  cleared  areas  by  checking  run-off. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  (334) 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  occurs  principally  in  the  outer  timber  belts  along 
streams  and  is  by  far  the  most  extensive  timbered  soil  type  in  the  county.  It 
covers  an  area  of  199.73  square  miles,  more  than  one-third  of  the  entire  area  of 
the  county.  The  same  situation  exists  with  reference  to  this  type,  as  it  is  shown 
on  the  soil  map,  as  was  described  above  in  the  case  of  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay.  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam,  as  it  was  mapped  in  Marion  county,  is  now 
recognized  as  including  two  types  as  follows :  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay,  which  occurs  on  flat,  poorly  drained  areas,  and  Yelloiv-Gray  Silt  Loam  On 
Compact  Medium-Plastic  Clay,  which  occurs  on  areas  having  fairly  good  surface 
drainage.  This  distinction  is  not  shown  on  the  soil  map,  but  the  types  will  be 
described  separately,  since  they  differ  materially  in  character  and  in  agricultural 
value. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  occurs  thruout  the  county  and  in- 
cludes more  than  half  of  the  timbered  soil.  The  surface  material  is  loess-like. 
Sandy,  pebbly,  glacial  drift  is  encountered  at  depths  varying  from  15  to  60 
inches.  This  type  was  developed  under  poor  drainage,  and  on  flat  to  undulating 
topography,  corresponding  to  the  conditions  under  which  the  prairie  type,  Gray 
Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  was  developed.  Both  the  surface  drainage  and  under- 
drainage  of  this  type  are  poor.  Slick  spots,  as  described  in  the  above-mentioned 
corresponding  prairie  type,  are  found  also  in  this  type,  but  probably  are  not  so 
numerous. 


J 


1926]  Marion  County  19 

Cultivation  of  the  virgin  timber  soil  has  produced  several  changes  in  the 
soil  profile.  Plowing,  by  turning  up  and  mixing  in  some  of  the  very  light- 
colored  A2  horizon,  has  tended  to  increase  the  depth  of  the  surface  or  A1  horizon, 
as  well  as  to  lighten  its  color.  Indications  are  that  the  depth  and  plasticity  of 
the  upper  subsoil  or  B  horizon  are  increased  by  continued  cultivation.  This  would 
be  expected,  as  frequent  stirring  of  the  soil  should  accentuate  the  physical  move- 
ment of  smaller  particles  downward  with  the  drainage  water. 

The  Ax  horizon,  0  to  5  inches,  is  a  yellowish  gray,  laminated,  friable  silt  loam. 
The  A2  horizon,  5  to  17  inches,  is  a  very  light  yellowish  gray,  friable,  ashy  silt 
loam,  with  occasionally  some  black  iron  concretions.  This  horizon  has  a  laminated 
structure  in  its  upper  3  or  4  inches.  The  B  horizon,  17  to  32  inches,  is  a  pale 
yellow,  mottled,  plastic  tight  clay  with  iron  concretions.  The  C1  horizon  32  to  40 
inches,  is  a  pale  yellow,  mottled,  compact  silt  loam,  with  distinct  columnar 
structure.     The  C2  horizon  is  a  friable  silt  loam  containing  iron  concretions. 

Management. — Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  acid  and  very  low 
in  nitrogen  and  organic  matter.  The  yellowish  color  indicates  somewhat  better 
drainage  than  occurs  on  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay.  Underdrainage  is  not 
successful,  however,  because  of  the  impervious  nature  of  the  subsoil.  The  reader 
is  referred  to  the  discussion  of  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  page  15,  for  sug- 
gestions regarding  the  management  of  this  type. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Compact  Medium-Plastic  Clay  is  of  limited 
occurrence  in  Marion  county  because  of  the  flat  topography  which  prevails.  It 
is  found,  however,  in  narrow  belts  just  back  of  the  steep,  eroded  land  along  the 
banks  of  stream  channels,  and  following  out  small  drainage  lines.  It  is  also 
found  on  some  of  the  timbered  glacial  and  preglacial  knolls  and  ridges.  The  sur- 
face material  is  all  loess-like ;  but  sandy,  pebbly,  glacial  drift  lies  from  15  to  60 
inches  below  the  surface.  This  type  was  developed  under  fairly  good  drainage 
conditions,  on  undulating  to  gently  rolling  topography. 

The  A1  horizon,  0  to  7  inches,  is  a  brownish  or  yellowish  gray, -friable,  silt 
loam,  with  laminated  structure.  The  A2  horizon,  7  to  17  inches,  is  a  yellowish 
gray,  friable  silt  loam.  The  B  horizon,  17  to  31  inches,  is  a  slightly  reddish  or 
brownish  yellow,  mottled,  compact,  medium-plastic  clay  containing  some  iron 
concretions.  The  C  horizon,  below  31  inches,  is  a  yellow,  mottled,  slightly  com- 
pacted, clayey  silt  loam,  with  columnar  structure  for  the  first  few  inches.  This 
horizon  is  friable  below  about  36  inches.  Iron  concretions,  some  sand,  and  few 
pebbles  are  found. 

Management. — Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Compact  Medium-Plastic  Clay  is 
the  best  timber  soil  in  Marion  county.  It  has  good  surface  drainage,  and  under- 
drainage probably  can  be  successfully  used.  The  soil  is  acid  and  in  need  of 
nitrogen  and  organic  matter;  however,  it  responds  well  to  good  farming;  and 
following  the  use  of  limestone  and  sweet  clover,  good  crops  can  be  produced 
except  in  years  which  are  climatically  very  unfavorable.  The  same  suggestions 
regarding  fertilizer  treatment  which  were  made  for  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay,  page  15,  apply  to  this  type. 


20  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November, 

Yellow  Silt  Loam  (335) 

Yellow  Silt  Loam  forms  the  inner  timber  belt  along  streams.  It  comprizes 
the  hilly  land,  most  of  which  is  badly  washed  and  all  of  which  is  subject  to  erosion. 
Fortunately  the  extent  of  this  type  in  the  county  is  not  large.  It  is  confined 
principally  to  Skillet  Fork  creek  and  its  tributaries.  Very  little,  if  any,  of  this 
type  should  be  cultivated.  Its  chief  use  should  be  for  permanent  pasture. 
Orcharding  might  be  practiced  on  the  more  gentle  slopes.  A  large  part  of  the 
area  could  be  profitably  utilized  for  the  regrowth  of  forests;  in  fact,  all  of  the 
timber  never  should  have  been  cut  off.  Small  outcroppings  of  shale  and  sand- 
stone rock  occur  on  some  of  the  steeper  slopes. 

Glacial  till,  a  sandy,  pebbly  clay  mass,  is  the  chief  material  forming  this 
type.  It  seldom  shows  any  profile  development  because  of  the  rapid  removal  of 
soil  material  by  erosion.  The  slopes  are  steep,  the  topography  is  rough,  and  both 
the  surface  and  underdrainage  are  good. 

Management. — A  very  small  percentage  of  this  type  is  at  present  used  for 
cultivated  crops.  It  affords  a  little  pasture,  but,  in  the  main,  yields  small  returns. 
It  is  badly  gullied  and,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  is  a  large  acreage  of  better 
land  in  the  county  which  is  not  fully  utilized,  present  conditions  do  not  appear 
to  warrant  the  expenditure  of  much  money  in  its  development.  Some  of  the 
better  areas  are  well  adapted  to  orcharding  but  most  of  the  type  should  be  re- 
turned to  forest. 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  (332) 

Light  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  occupies  the  very  flat,  exceptionally 
poorly  drained  areas.  It  is  associated  with  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight 
Clay.  It  covers  a  total  area  of  15.67  square  miles,  and  occurs  in  small  areas 
scattered  thruout  the  county.  Its  topography  is  very  flat,  and  both  the  surface 
and  underdrainage  are  very  poor.  During  wet  weather  the  surface  soil  is  soft, 
while  in  dry  weather  it  bakes  and  becomes  very  hard.  These  areas  are  spoken 
of  as  "post  oak  flats"  or  "hickory  flats,"  because  of  the  kind  of  timber  which 
grows  on  them.  Black  iron  pellets,  known  as  "buckshot,"  are  found  on  the 
surface. 

The  Ax  horizon,  0  to  4  inches,  is  a  light  yellowish  gray,  friable  silt  loam, 
laminated  in  structure  and  containing  black  iron  concretions.  The  A2  horizon, 
4  to  16  inches,  is  a  light  gray  to  white,  ashy  silt  loam.  It  is  laminated  in  the 
upper  6  or  8  inches,  and  contains  iron  concretions.  The  B  horizon,  16  to  35 
inches,  is  a  pale  yellow,  mottled,  very  plastic,  impervious  tight  clay  containing 
iron  concretions.  The  C  horizon,  below  35  inches,  is  a  pale  yellow,  mottled, 
compact  silty  clay  loam.  It  contains  yellow  iron  concretions,  and  has  a  distinct 
columnar  structure  in  the  upper  8  or  10  inches.  Below  about  35  inches,  it  becomes 
a  yellow,  mottled,  friable  silt  loam.  Some  sand  and  small  pebbles  occur  in  the 
B  and  C  horizons,  and  occasionally  the  compact  gravelly  drift  is  found  at  36 
inches.  Slick  spots,  as  described  under  the  type  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay, 
occur  in  this  type.  Cultivation  of  this  type  has  produced  changes  in  the  profile 
such  as  those  described  under  the  type  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay. 


I 


1926]  Marion  County  21 

Management. — This  soil  is  strongly  acid,  very  low  in  organic  matter,  and  will 
not  produce  the  grain  crops  except  in  the  most  favorable  seasons.  The  flat  topog- 
raphy of  the  type  makes  surface  drainage  difficult,  and  underdrainage  cannot  be 
used  because  of  the  impervious  character  of  the  subsoil.  Apples  do  well  on 
this  soil. 

(c)  RIDGE  SOILS 

The  remnants  of  preglacial  topography,  left  in  the  form  of  knolls  and 
ridges,  and  the  accumulations  of  drift  left  by  the  glacier  at  times  when  its  re- 
cession was  interrupted,  have  been  mapped  as  Ridge  Soils.  These  higher  areas 
vary  in  extent  from  ten  to  several  hundred  acres,  and  in  height  from  10  to  80 
feet.  They  vary  in  topography  from  gently  rolling  to  fairly  steep,  and  in  drain- 
age from  fair  to  exceptionally  good.  Compact  pebbly  drift  is  usually  found 
within  40  inches  of  the  surface,  and  on  the  preglacial  knolls  the  depth  to  bed 
rock  is  seldom  over  6  feet. 

Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  (233) 

Gray-Red  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  now  recognized  as  including  two  types, 
the  characters  of  which  have  been  developed  under  different  conditions  of  topog- 
raphy and  drainage.  The  undulating  to  gently  rolling,  fairly  well-drained  areas 
are  now  called  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay.  The  rolling, 
well-drained  areas  are  termed  Yellowish  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled 
Tight  Clay.  Both  of  these  types  have  been  described  above,  and  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  descriptions  and  management  suggestions  on  page  16. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  (234) 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam,  Ridge,  comprizes  the  timbered  knolls  and  ridges 
which  rise  from  30  to  80  feet  above  the  surrounding  country.  This  type  is  now 
recognized  as  including  three  types  as  follows :  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Com- 
pact Medium-Plastic  Clay,  Reddish  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam,  and  Reddish  Yellow 
Silt  Loam. 

Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Compact  Medium-Plastic  Clay  occupies  the  un- 
dulating to  gently  rolling,  fairly  well-drained  areas.  This  type  includes  most  of 
the  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  (234)  as  mapped.  The  reader  is  referred  to  the 
description  of  the  upland  timber  type,  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Medium- 
Plastic  Clay,  and  the  discussion  of  its  management  on  page  19. 

Reddish  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  occurs  only  on  the  higher  ridges  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county  and  is  limited  in  extent.  It  occupies  steep  and  ex- 
ceptionally well-drained  areas.  The  surface  covering  is  loess-like,  containing 
more  fine  sand  than  is  usual  for  a  silt  loam,  and  the  pebbly  drift  is  found  at 
about  24  inches  in  depth.  The  topography  is  rolling  and  the  drainage  is  very 
good. 

The  A1  horizon,  0  to  8  inches,  is  a  brownish  or  reddish  yellow,  friable  silt 
loam  with  laminated  structure.  The  A2  horizon,  8  to  15  inches,  is  a  grayish  yellow, 
friable  silt  loam.    The  B  horizon,  15  to  23  inches,  is  a  reddish  yellow,  slightly 


22  Soil  Report  No.  34  [November,     . 

mottled  compact  silty  clay  loam.     The  C  horizon,  below  23  inches,  is  a  yellow, 
mottled,  friable,  sandy  and  gravelly  silt  loam. 

Management. — Reddish  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  is  medium  acid,  and  is  low 
in  organic  matter.  It  is  an  excellent  peach  soil  and  will  produce  good  general 
farm  crops  after  the  acidity  has  been  corrected  with  limestone,  and  the  nitrogen 
and  organic-matter  deficiencies  have  been  taken  care  of,  preferably  by  the  growth 
of  sweet  clover. 

Reddish  Yellow  Silt  Loam  occurs  only  on  two  or  three  of  the  highest  ridges 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  The  surface  covering  is  probably  all  decom- 
posed drift,  but  the  sandy,  pebbly  drift  lies  from  10  to  15  inches  below  the  sur- 
face. The  topography  of  this  type  is  steep,  and  the  drainage  exceptionally  good. 
Much  of  the  surface  soil  is  lost  by  gullying  and  sheet  washing  when  this  type  of 
soil  is  cultivated. 

The  Aj_  horizon,  0  to  10  inches,  is  a  distinctly  reddish  yellow,  friable  silt  loam. 
The  B  horizon,  10  to  21  inches,  is  a  reddish  yellow,  Very  slightly  mottled,  slightly 
compacted  silt  loam,  containing  some  sand  and  pebbles.  The  C  horizon,  below 
21  inches,  is  a  fairly  friable,  yellow,  mottled,  sandy,  pebbly  silt  loam. 

Management. — Eeddish  Yellow  Silt  Loam,  because  of  its  steep  topography, 
should  be  used  for  orchard  or  pasture.  It  is  an  excellent  orchard  soil  and  when 
planted  in  trees  can  be  handled  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  erosion. 

(d)  RESIDUAL  SOILS 

The  areas  mapped  as  residual  soil  include  rock  outcrops  which  are  of  little, 
if  any,  agricultural  importance.  They  are  found  in  gullies  and  in  other  places 
where  erosion  has  removed  the  glacial  drift.  The  outcroppings  are  chiefly  sand- 
stone and  shale,  but  occasionally  a  thin  ledge  of  limestone  is  exposed.  These 
limestone  ledges  may  be  used  as  a  local  source  for  ground  limestone  by  installing 
a  portable  crusher.    They  are  too  thin,  however,  to  be  of  any  general  importance. 

(e)  OLD  SWAMP  AND  BOTTOM-LAND  SOILS 

This  group  of  soils  includes  the  bottom  lands  along  streams,  the  swamps, 
and  the  poorly  drained  lowlands.  The  soil  is  of  alluvial  formation  and  the  land 
is  subject  to  overflow.  There  are  three  types  occurring  in  Marion  county  which 
are  classed  in  this  group. 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  (1331) 

Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  is  the  predominating  bottom-land  type  in  southern 
Illinois.  It  occupies  24.85  square  miles  in  this  county.  The  material  forming 
this  type  is  mainly  a  silt  brought  down  from  the  surrounding  hills,  and  deposited 
by  slowly  moving  water  during  flood  times.  It  has  been  kept  under  high  moisture 
conditions  thruout  most  of  the  year.  The  streams  flowing  thru  these  bottom 
lands  are  sluggish  and  meandering.  The  bottoms  are  flat  and  poorly  drained. 
The  soil  is  not  of  sufficient  age  to  have  any  well-developed  profile,  as  each  over- 
flow leaves  some  deposit  on  the,  surface. 


1926]  Marion  County  23 

The  Ax  horizon,  7  to  10  inches,  is  a  yellowish  gray,  friable  silt  loam  with  iron 
concretions.  The  A2  horizon,  below  10  inches,  is  a  gray,  slightly  compacted,  silt 
or  silty  clay  loam,  containing  heavy  iron  concretions.  In  areas  that  are  least 
disturbed  by  deposition  from  overflow,  a  compact  subsoil  has  developed  at  depths 
varying  from  18  to  22  inches.    This  compaction  is  rarely  over  4  inches  in  thickness. 

Management.— Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam,  Bottom,  as  it  occurs  in  Marion  county, 
is  medium  acid.  About  80  percent  of  the  type  is  cleared  and  somewhat  over  half 
of  the  total  area  is  farmed.  The  drainage  is  poor,  however,  and  this  fact  limits 
the  productivity  of  this  soil  more  than  any  other  one  factor.  Corn  is  the  chief 
crop  grown.  Tiling  is  effective  on  this  land.  On  areas  where  the  overflow  and 
drainage  can  be  taken  care  of,  a  very  satisfactory  level  of  productivity  can  easily 
be  attained  by  the  use  of  limestone  and  the  introduction  of  clover  as  a  regular 
crop  in  the  rotation. 

Mixed  Loam  (1354) 

Mixed  Loam  is  found  in  the  small  bottom  lands  at  the  heads  of  streams.  It 
occupies  23.86  square  miles.  It  overflows  after  each  heavy  rain  and  is  con- 
tinually receiving  new  deposits  of  material  brought  down  from  the  adjoining 
upland.  The  soil  material  is  mainly  fine  sand  and  silt.  The  areas  have  flat 
topography,  and  are  fairly  well  drained.  The  soil  shows  no  true  profile  develop- 
ment because  of  its  youth.  The  material  ranges  from  a  yellowish  gray  fine  sandy 
loam  on  the  surface  to  a  light  yellowish  gray  or  gray  silt  loam  below  20  inches. 

Management. — Mixed  Loam,  Bottom,  is  only  slightly  acid.  It  is  subject  to 
frequent  overflow  and  for  this  reason  will  not  become  more  acid  with  cultivation, 
as  upland  soils  do.    Practically  the  entire  area  of  this  type  is  farmed  in  corn. 

Drab  Clay  Loam  (1321) 

Drab  Clay  Loam  occupies  only  51  acres,  located  along  Crooked  creek  in 
Township  1  North,  Range  1  East.  Until  recent  years  this  area  has  been.swampy. 
It  differs  from  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam  only  in  having  more  of  a  drabbish  color  and 
containing  considerably  more  clay  in  the  surface.  Below  20  inches  it  is  essentially 
the  same  as  Deep  Gray  Silt  Loam. 

Management. — Drab  Clay  Loam,  Bottom,  is  medium  to  strongly  acid.  It  is 
used  for  corn  growing  and  produces  fairly  good  yields,  tho  not  so  good  as  those 
produced  by  Mixed  Loam. 


APPENDIX 

EXPLANATIONS  FOR  INTERPRETING  THE  SOIL  SURVEY 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  SOILS 

In  order  intelligently  to  interpret  the  soil  map,  the  reader  must  understand 
something  of  the  method  of  soil  classification  upon  which  the  survey  is  based. 
Without  going  far  into  details  the  following  paragraphs  are  intended  to  furnish 
a  brief  explanation  of  the  general  plan  of  classification  used. 

The  soil  type  is  the  unit  of  classification.  Each  type  has  definite  charac- 
teristics upon  which  its  separation  from  other  types  is  based.  These  character- 
istics are  inherent  in  the  strata,  or  "horizons,"  which  constitute  the  soil  profile 
in  all  mature  soils.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned  color,  structure,  texture, 
and  chemical  composition.  Other  items  which  may  assist  in  the  differentiation 
of  types,  but  which  are  not  fundamental  to  it,  are  native  vegetation  (whether 
timber  or  prairie),  topography,  and  geological  origin  and  formation. 

Since  some  of  the  terms  used  in  designating  the  factors  which  are  taken 
into  account  in  establishing  soil  types  are  technical  in  nature,  the  following  defi- 
nitions are  introduced : 

Horizon.  A  layer  or  stratum  of  soil  which  differs  discernibly  from  those  adjacent  in 
color,  texture,  structure,  chemical  composition,  or  a  combination  of  these  characteristics,  is 
called  an  horizon.  In  describing  a  matured  soil,  three  horizons  designated  as  A,  B,  and  C 
are  usually  considered. 

A  designates  the  upper  horizon  and,  as  developed  under  the  conditions  of  a  humid,  tem- 
perate climate,  represents  the  layer  of  extraction  or  eluviation ;  that  is  to  say,  material  in 
solution  or  in  suspension  has  passed  out  of  this  zone  thru  the  processes  of  weathering. 

B  represents  the  layer  of  concentration  or  illuviation ;  that  is,  the  layer  developed  as  a 
result  of  the  accumulation  of  material  thru  the  downward  movement  of  water  from  the  A 
horizon. 

C  designates  the  layer  lying  below  the  B  horizon  and  in  which  the  material  has  been  less 
affected  by  the  weathering  processes. 

Frequently  differences  within  a  stratum  or  zone  is  discernible,  in  which  case  it  is  sub- 
divided and  described  under  such  designations  as  Aj  and  A2,  Bj  and  B2,  etc. 

Soil  Profile.     The  soil  section  as  a  whole  is  spoken  of  as  the  soil  profile. 

Depth  and  Thickness.  The  horizons  or  layers  which  make  up  the  soil  profile  vary  in 
depth  and  thickness.  These  variations  are  distinguishing  features  in  the  separation  of  soils 
into  types. 

Physical  Composition.  The  physical  composition,  sometimes  referred  to  as  "texture," 
is  a  most  important  feature  in  characterizing  a  soil.  The  texture  depends  upon  the  rela- 
tive proportions  of  the  following  physical  constituents:  clay,  silt,  fine  sand,  sand,  gravel, 
stones,  and  organic  material. 

Structure.  The  term  "structure"  has  reference  to  the  aggregation  of  particles  within 
the  soil  mass  and  carries  such  qualifying  terms  as  open,  granular,  compact,  columnar, 
laminated. 

Organic-Matter  Content.  The  organic  matter  of  soil  is  derived  largely  from  plant 
tissue  and  it  exists  in  a  more  or  less  advanced  stage  of  decomposition.  Organic  matter 
forms  the  predominating  constituent  in  certain  soils  of  swampy  formation. 

Color.  Color  is  determined  to  a  large  extent  by  the  proportion  of  organic  matter,  but 
at  the  same  time  it  is  modified  by  the  mineral  constituents,  especially  by  iron  compounds. 

Reaction.  The  term  "reaction"  refers  to  the  chemical  state  of  the  soil  with  respect 
to  acid  or  alkaline  condition.  It  also  involves  the  idea  of  degree,  as  strongly  acid  or 
strongly  alkaline. 

Carbonate  Content.  The  carbonate  content  has  reference  to  the  calcium  carbonate 
(limestone)  present,  which  in  some  cases  may  be  associated  with  magnesium  or  other  car- 
bonates. The  depth  at  which  carbonates  are  found  may  become  a  very  important  factor 
in  determining  the  soil  type. 

Topography.    Topography  has  reference  to  the  lay  of  the  land,  as  level,  rolling,  hilly,  etc. 

24 


i 


1926]  Marion  County  "         25 

Native  Vegetation.  The  vegetation  or  plant  growth  before  being  disturbed  by  man,- 
as  prairie  grasses  and  forest  trees,  is  a  feature  frequently  recognized  as  determining  soil 
types. 

Geological  Origin.  Geological  origin  involves  the  idea  of  character  of  rock  materials 
composing  the  soil  as  well  as  the  method  of  formation  of  the  soil  material. 

Not  infrequently  areas  are  encountered  in  which  type  characters  are  not 
distinctly  developed  or  in  which  they  show  considerable  variation.  When  these 
variations  are  considered  to  have  sufficient  significance,  type  separations  are 
made  whenever  the  areas  involved  are  sufficiently  large.  Because  of  the  almost 
infinite  variability  occurring  in  soils,  one  of  the  exacting  tasks  of  the  soil  sur- 
veyor is  to  determine  the  degree  of  variation  which  is  allowable  for  any  given 
type. 

Classifying  Soil  Types. — In  the  system  of  classification  used,  the  types  fall 
first  into  four  general  groups  based  upon  their  geological  relationships ;  namely, 
upland,  terrace,  swamp  and  bottom  land,  and  residual.  These  groups  may  be 
subdivided  into  prairie  soils  and  timber  soils,  altho  as  a  matter  of  fact  this  sub- 
division is  applied  in  the  main  only  to  the  upland  group.  These  terms  are  all 
explained  in  the  foregoing  part  of  the  report  in  connection  with  the  description 
of  the  particular  soil  types. 

Naming  and  Numbering  Soil  Types. — In  the  Illinois  soil  survey  a  system 
of  nomenclature  is  used  which  is  intended  to  make  the  type  name  convey  some 
idea  of  the  nature  of  the  soil.  Thus  the  name  "Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam"  car- 
ries in  itself  a  more  or  less  definite  description  of  the  type.  It  should  not  be 
assumed,  however,  that  this  system  of  nomenclature  makes  it  possible  to  devise 
type  names  which  are  adequately  descriptive,  because  the  profile  of  mature  soils 
Ls  usually  made  up  of  three  or  more  horizons  and  it  is  impossible  to  describe  each 
horizon  in  the  type  name.  The  color  and  texture  of  the  surface  soil  are  usually 
included  in  the  type  name  and  when  material  such  as  sand,  gravel,  or  rock  lies 
at  a  depth  of  less  than  30  inches,  the  fact  is  indicated  by  the  word  "on, "  and  when 
its  depth  exceeds  30  inches,  by  the  word  "over";  for  example,  Brown  Silt  Loam 
On  Gravel,  and  Brown  Silt  Loam  Over  Gravel. 

As  a  further  step  in  systematizing  the  listing  of  the  soils  of  Illinois,  recog- 
nition is  given  to  the  location  of  the  types  with  respect  to  the  geological  areas 
in  which  they  occur.  According  to  a  geological  survey  made  many  years  ago, 
the  state  has  been  divided  into  seventeen  areas  with  respect  to  geological  forma- 
tion and,  for  the  purposes  of  the  soil  survey,  each  of  these  areas  has  been  assigned 
an  index  number.  The  names  of  the  areas  together  with  their  general  location 
and  their  corresponding  index  numbers  are  given  in  the  following  list. 

000     Besidual,  soils  formed  in  place  thru  disintegration  of  rocks,  and  also  rock  outcrop 
100     Unglaciated,  including  three  areas,  the  largest  being  in  the  south  end  of  the  state 
200     Illinoisan  moraines,  including  the  moraines  of  the  Illinoisan  glaciations 
300     Lower  Illinoisan  glaciation,  formerly  considered  as  covering  nearly  the  south  third  of 

the  state 
400     Middle  Illinoisan  glaciation,  covering  about  a  dozen  counties  in  the  west-central  part 

of  the  state 
500     Upper  Illinoisan  glaciation,  covering  about  fourteen  counties  northwest  of  the  middle 

Illinoisan  glaciation 
600     Pre-Iowan  glaciation,  but  now  believed  to  be  part  of  the  upper  Illinoisan 
700     Iowan  glaciation,  lying  in  the  central  northern  end  of  the  state 
800     Deep  loess  areas,  including  a  zone  a  few  miles  wide  along  the  Wabash,  Illinois,  and 

Mississippi  rivers 


26  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

900    Early  Wisconsin  moraines,  including  the  moraines  of  the  early  Wisconsin  glaciation 
1000     Late  Wisconsin  moraines,  including  the  moraines  of  the  late  Wisconsin  glaciation 
1100     Early  Wisconsin  glaciation,  covering  the  greater  part  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  the 

state 
1200     Late  Wisconsin  glaciation,  lying  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  state 
1300     Biver-bottom  and  swamp  lands,  formed  by  material  derived  from  the  Illinoisan  or  older 

glaciations 
1400     Biver-bottom  and  sviamp  lands,  formed  by  material  derived  from  the  Wisconsin  and 

Iovvan  glaciations 
1500     Terraces,  bench  or  second  bottom  lands,  and  gravel  outwash  plains 
1600     Lacustrine  deposits,  formed  by  Lake  Chicago,  the  enlarged  glacial  Lake  Michigan 

Further  information  regarding  these  geological  areas  is  given  in  connection 
with  the  general  map  mentioned  above  and  published  in  Bulletin  123  (1908). 

Another  set  of  index  numbers  is  assigned  to  the  classes  of  soils  as  based 
upon  physical  composition.  The  following  list  contains  the  names  of  these  classes 
with  their  corresponding  index  numbers. 

Index  Number  Limits  Class  Names 

0  to     9 Peats 

10  to  12 Peaty  loams 

13  to  14 Mucks 

15  to  19 Clays 

20  to  24 Clay  loams 

25  to  49 Silt  loams 

50  to  59 Loams 

60  to  79 Sandy  loams 

80  to  89 Sands 

90  to  94 Gravelly  loams 

95  to  97 Gravels 

98 Stony  loams 

99   Rock  outcrop 

As  a  convenient  means  of  designating  types  and  their  location  with  respect 
to  the  geological  areas  of  the  state,  each  type  is  given  a  number  made  up  of  a 
combination  of  the  index  numbers  explained  above.  This  number  indicates  the 
type  and  the  geological  area  in  which  it  occurs.  The  geological  area  is  always 
indicated  by  the  digits  of  the  order  of  hundreds  while  the  balance  of  the  number 
designates  the  type.  To  illustrate :  the  number  1126  means  Brown  Silt  Loam 
in  the  early  Wisconsin  glaciation,  434  means  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam  of  the  mid- 
dle Illinoisan  glaciation.  These  numbers  are  especially  useful  in  designating 
very  small  areas  on  the  map  and  as  a  check  in  reading  the  colors. 

A  complete  list  of  the  soil  types  occurring  in  each  county,  along  with  their 
corresponding  type  numbers  and  the  area  covered  by  each  type,  will  be  found 
in  the  respective  county  soil  reports  in  connection  with  the  maps. 

SOIL  SURVEY  METHODS 

Mapping  of  Soil  Types. — In  conducting  the  soil  survey,  the  county  consti- 
tutes the  unit  of  working  area.  The  field  work  is  done  by  parties  of  two  to  four 
men  each.  The  field  season  extends  from  early  in  April  to  Thanksgiving.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  months  the  men  are  engaged  in  preparing  a  copy  of  the  soil  map 
to  be  sent  to  the  lithographer,  a  copy  for  the  use  of  the  county  farm  adviser  until 
the  printed  map  is  available,  and  a  third  copy  for  use  in  the  office  in  order  to 
preserve  the  original  official  map  in  good  condition. 

An  accurate  base  map  for  field  use  is  necessary  for  soil  mapping.  These 
maps  are  prepared  on  a  scale  of  one  inch  to  the  mile,  the  official  data  of  the 
original  or  subsequent  land  survey  being  used  as  the  basis  in  their  construction. 


1926]  Marion  County  27 

Each  surveyor  is  provided  with  one  of  these  base  maps,  which  he  carries  with 
him  in  the  field ;  and  the  soil  type  boundaries,  together  with  the  streams,  roads, 
railroads,  canals,  town  sites,  and  rock  and  gravel  quarries  are  placed  in  their 
proper  location  upon  the  map  while  the  mapper  is  on  the  area.  With  the  rapid 
development  of  road  improvement  during  the  past  few  years,  it  is  almost  in- 
evitable that  some  recently  established  roads  will  not  appear  on  the  published 
soil  map.  Similarly,  changes  in  other  artificial  features  will  occasionally  occur 
in  the  interim  between  the  preparation  of  the  map  and  its  publication.  The 
detail  or  minimum  size  of  areas  which  are  shown  on  the  map  varies  somewhat, 
but  in  general  a  soil  type  if  less  than  five  acres  in  extent  is  not  shown. 

A  soil  auger  is  carried  by  each  man  with  which  he  can  examine  the  soil  to 
a  depth  of  40  inches.  An  extension  for  making  the  auger  80  inches  long  is  taken 
by  each  party,  so  that  the  deeper  subsoil  may  be  studied.  Each  man  carries  a 
compass  to  aid  in  keeping  directions.  Distances  along  roads  are  measured  by 
a  speedometer  or  other  measuring  device,  while  distances  in  the  field  away  from 
the  roads  are  measured  by  pacing. 

Sampling  for  Analysis. — After  all  the  soil  types  of  a  county  have  been 
located  and  mapped,  samples  representative  of  the  different  types  are  collected 
for  chemical  analysis.  The  samples  for  this  purpose  are  usually  taken  in  three 
depths ;  namely,  0  to  6%  inches,  6%  to  20  inches,  and  20  to  40  inches,  as  explained 
in  connection  with  the  discussion  of  the  analytical  data  on  page  7. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  SOIL  FERTILITY 

Probably  no  agricultural  fact  is  more  generally  known  by  farmers  and  land- 
owners than  that  soils  differ  in  productive  power.  A  fact  of  equal  importance, 
not  so  generally  recognized,  is  that  they  also  differ  in  other  characteristics  such 
as  response  to  fertilizer  treatment  and  to  management. 

The  soil  is  a  dynamic,  ever-changing,  exceedingly  complex  substance  made 
up  of  organic  and  inorganic  materials  and  teeming  with  life  in  the  form  of 
microorganisms.  Because  of  these  characteristics,  the  soil  cannot  be  considered 
as  a  reservoir  into  which  a  given  quantity  of  an  element  or  elements  of  plant 
food  can  be  poured  with  the  assurance  that  it  will  respond  with  a  given  increase 
in  crop  yield.  In  a  similar  manner  it  cannot  be  expected  to  respond  with  per- 
fect uniformity  to  a  given  set  of  management  standards.  To  be  productive  a  soil 
must  be  in  such  condition  physically  with  respect  to  structure  and  moisture  as 
to  encourage  root  development ;  and  in  such  condition  chemically  that  injurious 
substances  are  not  present  in  harmful  amounts,  that  a  sufficient  supply  of  the 
elements  of  plant  food  become  available  or  usable  during  the  growing  season, 
and  that  lime  materials  are  present  in  sufficient  abundance  favorable  for  the 
growth  of  the  higher  plants  and  of  the  beneficial  microorganisms.  Good  soil 
management  under  humid  conditions  involves  the  adoption  of  those  tillage,  crop- 
ping, and  fertilizer  treatment  methods  which  will  result  in  profitable  and  per- 
manent crop  production  on  the  soil  type  concerned. 

The  following  paragraphs  are  intended  to  state  in  a  brief  way  some  of  the 
principles  of  soil  management  and  treatment  which  are  fundamental  to  profitable 
and  continued  productivity. 


28 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix 


[November, 


Table  5. — Plant-Food  Elements  in 

Common  Farm  Crops1 

Produce 

Nitrogen 

Phos- 
phorus 

Sulfur 

Potas- 
sium 

Magne- 
sium 

Calcium 

Iron 

Kind 

Amount 

Wheat,  grain. 
Wheat  straw . . 

1  bu. 
1  ton 

lbs. 

1.42 

10.00 

lbs. 

.24 
1.60 

lbs. 

.10 
2.80 

lbs. 
.26 
18.00 

lbs. 

.08 
1.60 

lbs. 

.02 
3.80 

26«. 

.01 
.60 

Corn,  grain .  . . 
Corn  stover. . . 
Corn  cobs .... 

1  bu. 
1  ton 
1  ton 

1.00 

16.00 

4.00 

.17 
2.00 

.08 
2.42 

.19 

17.33 

4.00 

.07 
3.33 

.01 
7.00 

.01 
1.60 

Oats,  grain.  .  . 
Oats  straw.  .  . 

1  bu. 
1  ton 

.66 
12.40 

.11 
2.00 

.06 
4.14 

.16 
20.80 

.04 
2.80 

.02 
6.00 

.01 
1.12 

Clover  seed . . . 
Clover  hay .  .  . 

1  bu. 
1  ton 

1.75 
40.00 

.50 
5.00 

3.28 

.75 
30.00 

.25 
7.75 

.13 
29.25 

1.00 

Soybean  seed. 
Soybean  hay . . 

1  bu. 
1  ton 

3.22 
43.40 

.39 

4.74 

.27 
5.18 

1.26 
35.48 

.15 
13.84 

.14 

27.56 

Alfalfa  hay .  .  . 

1  ton 

52.08 

4.76 

5.96 

16.64 

8.00 

22.26 

'These  data  are  brought  together  from  various  sources.  Some  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  exactness  of  th  e 
figures  because  samples  representing  the  same  kind  of  crop  or  the  same  kind  of  material  frequently  exhibit  consid- 
erable variation. 


CROP  REQUIREMENTS  WITH  RESPECT  TO  PLANT-FOOD  MATERIALS 

Ten  of  the  chemical  elements  are  known  to  be  essential  for  the  growth  of 
the  higher  plants.  These  are  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen,  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
sulfur,  potassium,  calcium,  magnesium,  and  iron.  Other  elements  are  absorbed 
from  the  soil  by  growing  plants,  including  manganese,  silicon,  sodium,  aluminum, 
chlorin,  and  boron.  It  is  probable  that  these  latter  elements  are  present  in 
plants  for  the  most  part,  not  because  they  are  required,  but  because  they  are 
dissolved  in  the  soil  water  and  the  plant  has  no  means  of  preventing  their 
entrance.  There  is  some  evidence,  however,  which  indicates  that  certain  of  these 
elements,  notably  manganese,  silicon,  and  boron,  may  be  either  essential  but 
required  in  only  minute  quantities,  or  very  beneficial  to  plant  growth  under 
certain  conditions,  even  tho  not  essential.  Thus,  for  example,  manganese  has 
produced  marked  increases  in  crop  yields  on  heavily  limed  soils.  Sodium  also 
has  been  found  capable  of  partially  replacing  potassium  in  case  of  a  shortage 
of  the  latter  element. 

Table  5  shows  the  requirements  of  some  of  our  most  common  field  crops 
with  respect  to  seven  important  plant-food  elements  furnished  by  the  soil.  The 
figures  show  the  weight  in  pounds  of  the  various  elements  contained  in  a  bushel 
or  in  a  ton,  as  the  case  may  be.  From  these  data  the  amount  of  an  element  re- 
moved from  an  acre  of  land  by  a  crop  of  a  given  yield  can  easily  be  computed. 


PLANT-FOOD  SUPPLY 


Of  the  elements  of  plant  food,  three  (carbon,  oxygen,  and  hydrogen)  are 
secured  from  air  and  water,  and  the  others  from  the  soil.  Nitrogen,  one  of  the 
elements  obtained  from  the  soil  by  all  plants,  may  also  be  secured  from  the  air 
by  the  class  of  plants  known  as  legumes,  in  case  the  amount  liberated  from  the 


1926] 


Marion  County 


29 


Table  6. — Plant-Food  Elements  in  Manure,  Rough  Feeds,  and  Fertilizers1 

Material 

Pounds  of  plant  food 
of  material 

per  ton 

Nitrogen 

Phosphorus 

Potassium 

Fresh  farm  manure 

10 

16 

12 
10 

40 
43 
50 
80 

280 
310 
400 

80 
20 

2 

2 
2 
2 

5 
5 

4 
8 

180 
250 
250 
125 

10 

8 

Corn  stover 

17 

Oat  straw 

21 

Wheat  straw 

18 

Clover  hay 

30 

Cowpea  hay 

33 

Alfalfa  hay 

24 

Sweet  clover  (water-free  basis)2 

28 

Dried  blood 

Sodium  nitrate 

Ammonium  sulfate 

Raw  bone  meal 

Steamed  bone  meal 

Raw  rock  phosphate 

Acid  phosphate 

Potassium  chlorid 

850 

Potassium  sulfate 

850 

Kainit « 

200 

Wood  ashes3  (unleached) 

100 

'See  footnote  to  Table  5. 

2Young  second-year  growth  ready  to  plow  under  as  green  manure. 

3 Wood  ashes  also  contain  about  1,000  pounds  of  lime  (calcium  carbonate)  per  ton. 


soil  is  insufficient;  but  even  these  plants,  which  include  only  the  clovers,  peas, 
beans,  and  vetches  among  our  common  agricultural  plants,  are  dependent  upon 
the  soil  for  the  other  six  elements  (phosphorus,  potassium,  magnesium,  calcium, 
iron,  and  sulfur),  and  they  also  utilize  the  soil  nitrogen  so  far  as  it  becomes 
soluble  and  available  during  their  period  of  growth. 

The  vast  difference  with  respect  to  the  supply  of  these  essential  plant-food 
elements  in  different  soils  is  well  brought  out  in  the  data  of  the  Illinois  soil 
survey.  For  example,  it  has  been  found  that  the  nitrogen  in  the  surface  6% 
inches,  which  represents  the  plowed  stratum,  varies  in  amount  from  180  pounds 
per  acre  to  more  than  35,000  pounds.  In  like  manner  the  phosphorus  content 
varies  from  about  420  to  4,900  pounds,  and  the  potassium  ranges  from  1,530  to 
about  58,000  pounds.  Similar  variations  are  found  in  all  of  the  other  essential 
plant-food  elements  of  the  soil. 

With  these  facts  in  mind  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  a  deficiency  of  one 
of  these  elements  of  plant  food  may  become  a  limiting  factor  of  crop  production. 
When  an  element  becomes  so  reduced  in  quantity  as  to  become  a  limiting  factor 
of  production,  then  we  must  look  for  some  outside  source  of  supply.  Table  6 
is  presented  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  information  regarding  the  quantity 
of  some  of  the  more  important  plant-food  elements  contained  in  materials  most 
commonly  used  as  sources  of  supply. 


30  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

LIBERATION  OF  PLANT  FOOD 

The  chemical  analysis  of  the  soil  gives  the  invoice  of  plant-food  elements 
actually  present  in  the  soil  strata  sampled  and  analyzed,  but  the  rate  of  libera- 
tion is  governed  by  many  factors,  some  of  which  may  be  controlled  by  the  farmer, 
while  others  are  largely  beyond  his  control.  Chief  among  the  important  con- 
trollable factors  which  influence  the  liberation  of  plant  food  are  the  choice  of 
crops  to  be  grown,  the  use  of  limestone,  and  the  incorporation  of  organic  matter. 
Tillage,  especially  plowing,  also  has  a  considerable  effect  in  this  connection. 

Feeding  Power  of  Plants. — Different  species  of  plants  exhibit  a  very  great 
diversity  in  their  ability  to  obtain  plant  food  directly  from  the  insoluble  minerals 
of  the  soil.  As  a  class,  the  legumes — especially  such  biennial  and  perennial 
legumes  as  red  clover,  sweet  clover,  and  alfalfa — are  endowed  with  unusual 
power  to  assimilate  from  mineral  sources  such  elements  as  calcium  and  phos- 
phorus, converting  them  into  available  forms  for  the  crops  that  follow.  For  this 
reason  it  is  especially  advantageous  to  employ  such  legumes  in  connection  with 
the  application  of  limestone  and  rock  phosphate.  Thru  their  growth  and  subse- 
quent decay  large  quantities  of  the  mineral  elements  are  liberated  for  the  benefit 
of  the  cereal  crops  which  follow  in  the  rotation.  Moreover,  as  an  effect  of  the 
deep-rooting  habit  of  these  legumes,  mineral  plant-food  elements  are  brought  up 
and  rendered  available  from  the  vast  reservoirs  of  the  lower  subsoil. 

Effect  of  Limestone. — Limestone  corrects  the  acidity  of  the  soil  and  supplies 
calcium,  thus  encouraging  the  development  not  only  of  the  nitrogen-gathering 
bacteria  which  live  in  the  nodules  on  the  roots  of  clover,  cowpeas,  and  other 
legumes,  but  also  the  nitrifying  bacteria,  which  have  power  to  transform  the 
unavailable  organic  nitrogen  into  available  nitrate  nitrogen.  At  the  same  time, 
the  products  of  this  decomposition  have  power  to  dissolve  the  minerals  contained 
in  the  soil,  such  as  potassium  and  magnesium  compounds. 

Organic  Matter  and  Biological  Action. — Organic  matter  may  be  supplied 
thru  animal  manures,  consisting  of  the  excreta  of  animals  and  usually  accom- 
panied by  more  or  less  stable  litter;  and  by  plant  manures,  including  green- 
manure  crops  and  cover  crops  plowed  under,  and  also  crop  residues  such  as  stalks, 
straw,  and  chaff.  The  rate  of  decay  of  organic  matter  depends  largely  upon  its 
age,  condition,  and  origin,  and  it  may  be  hastened  by  tillage.  The  chemical 
analysis  shows  correctly  the  total  organic  carbon,  which  constitutes,  as  a  rule, 
but  little  more  than  half  the  organic  matter;  so  that  20,000  pounds  of  organic 
carbon  in  the  plowed  soil  of  an  acre  corresponds  to  nearly  20  tons  of  organic 
matter.  But  this  organic  matter  consists  largely  of  the  old  organic  residues  that 
have  accumulated  during  the  past  centuries  because  they  were  resistant  to  decay, 
and  2  tons  of  clover  or  cowpeas  plowed  under  may  have  greater  power  to  liberate 
plant-food  materials  than  20  tons  of  old,  inactive  organic  matter.  The  history  of 
the  individual  farm  or  field  must  be  depended  upon  for  information  concerning 
recent  additions  of  active  organic  matter,  whether  in  applications  of  farm 
manure,  in  legume  crops,  or  in  sods  of  old  pastures. 

The  condition  of  the  organic  matter  of  the  soil  is  indicated  to  some  extent 
by  the  ratio  of  carbon  to  nitrogen.  Fresh  organic  matter  recently  incorporated 
with  the  soil  contains  a  very  much  higher  proportion  of  carbon  to  nitrogen  than 


i 


1926]  Marion  County  31 

do  the  old  resistant  organic  residues  of  the  soil.  The  proportion  of  carbon  to 
nitrogen  is  higher  in  the  surface  soil  than  in  the  corresponding  subsoil,  and  in 
general  this  ratio  is  wider  in  highly  productive  soils  well  charged  with  active 
organic  matter  than  in  very  old,  worn  soils  badly  in  need  of  active  organic  matter. 

The  organic  matter  furnishes  food  for  bacteria,  and  as  it  decays  certain 
decomposition  products  are  formed,  including  much  carbonic  acid,  some  nitrous 
acid,  and  various  organic  acids,  and  these  acting  upon  the  soil  have  the  power  to 
dissolve  the  essential  mineral  plant  foods,  thus  furnishing  available  phosphates, 
nitrates,  and  other  salts  of  potassium,  magnesium,  calcium,  etc.,  for  the  use  of 
the  growing  crop. 

Effect  of  Tillage. — Tillage,  or  cultivation,  also  hastens  the  liberation  of  plant- 
food  elements  by  permitting  the  air  to  enter  the  soil.  It  should  be  remembered, 
however,  that  tillage  is  wholly  destructive,  in  that  it  adds  nothing  whatever  to 
the  soil,  but  always  leaves  it  poorer,  so  far  as  plant-food  materials  are  concerned. 
Tillage  should  be  practiced  so  far  as  is  necessary  to  prepare  a  suitable  seed  bed 
for  root  development  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  killing  weeds,  but  more  than 
this  is  unnecessary  and  unprofitable ;  and  it  is  much  better  actually  to  enrich 
the  soil  by  proper  applications  of  limestone,  organic  matter,  and  other  fertilizing 
materials,  and  thus  promote  soil  conditions  favorable  for  vigorous  plant  growth, 
than  to  depend  upon  excessive  cultivation  to  accomplish  the  same  object  at  the 
expense  of  the  soil. 

PERMANENT  SOIL  IMPROVEMENT 

According  to  the  kind  of  soil  involved,  any  comprehensive  plan  contemplat- 
ing a  permanent  system  of  agriculture  will  need  to  take  into  account  some  of  the 
following  considerations. 

The  Application  of  Limestone 

The  Function  of  Limestone. — In  considering  the  application  of  limestone 
to  land  it  should  be  understood  that  this  material  functions  in  several  different 
ways,  and  that  a  beneficial  result  may  therefore  be  attributable  to  quite  diverse 
causes.  Limestone  provides  calcium,  of  which  certain  crops  are  strong  feeders. 
It  corrects  acidity  of  the  soil,  thus  making  for  some  crops  a  much  more  favorable 
environment  as  well  as  establishing  conditions  absolutely  required  for  some  of 
the  beneficial  legume  bacteria.  It  accelerates  nitrification  and  nitrogen  fixation. 
It  promotes  sanitation  of  the  soil  by  inhibiting  the  growth  of  certain  fungous 
diseases,  such  as  corn-root  rot.  Experience  indicates  that  it  modifies  either 
directly  or  indirectly  the  physical  structure  of  fine-textured  soils,  frequently  to 
their  great  improvement.  Thus,  working  in  one  or  more  of  these  different  ways, 
limestone  often  becomes  the  key  to  the  improvement  of  worn  lands. 

How  to  Ascertain  the  Need  for  Limestone. — One  of  the  most  reliable  indica- 
tions as  to  whether  a  soil  needs  limestone  is  the  character  of  the  growth  of  certain 
legumes,  particularly  sweet  clover  and  alfalfa.  These  crops  do  not  thrive  in 
acid  soils.  Their  successful  growth,  therefore,  indicates  the  lack  of  sufficient 
acidity  in  the  soil  to  be  harmful.  In  case  of  their  failure  to  grow  the  soil  should 
be  tested  for  acidity  as  described  below.     A  very  valuable  test  for  ascertaining 


, 


32  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

the  need  of  a  soil  for  limestone  is  found  in  the  potassium  thiocyanate  test  for 
soil  acidity.  It  is  desirable  to  make  the  test  for  carbonates  along  with  the  acidity 
test.  Limestone  is  calcium  carbonate,  while  dolomite  is  the  combined  carbonates 
of  calcium  and  magnesium.  .  The  natural  occurrence  of  these  carbonates  in  the 
soil  is  sufficient  assurance  that  no  limestone  is  needed,  and  the  acidity  test  will 
be  negative.  On  lands  which  have  been  treated  with  limestone,  however,  the 
surface  soil  may  give  a  positive  test  for  carbonates,  owing  to  the  the  presence  of 
undecomposed  pieces  of  limestone,  and  at  the  same  time  a  positive  test  for  acidity 
may  be  secured.  Such  a  result  means  either  that  insufficient  limestone  has  been 
added  to  neutralize  the  acidity,  or  that  it  has  not  been  in  the  soil  long  enough 
to  entirely  correct  the  acidity.  In  making  these  tests,  it  is  desirable  to  examine 
samples  of  soil  from  different  depths,  since  carbonates  may  be  present,  even  in 
abundance,  below  a  surface  stratum  that  is  acid.  Following  are  the  directions 
for  making  the  tests : 

The  Potassium  Thiocyanate  Test  for  Acidity.  This  test  is  made  with  a  4-percent  solu- 
tion of  potassium  thiocyanate  in  alcohol — 4  grams  of  potassium  thiocyanate  in  100  cubic 
centimeters  of  95-percent  alcohol.1  When  a  small  quantity  of  soil  shaken  up  in  a  test  tube 
with  this  solution  gives  a  red  color  the  soil  is  acid  and  limestone  should  be  applied.  If  the 
solution  remains  colorless  the  soil  is  not  acid.  An  excess  of  water  interferes  with  the  reac- 
tion. The  sample  when  tested,  therefore,  should  be  at  least  as  dry  as  when  the  soil  is  in 
good  tillable  condition.  For  a  prompt  reaction  the  temperature  of  the  soil  and  solution 
should  be  not  lower  than  that  of  comfortable  working  conditions  (60°  to  75°  Fahrenheit). 

The  Hydrochloric  Acid  Test  for  Carbonates.  Take  a  small  representative  sample  of 
soil  and  pour  upon  it  a  few  drops  of  hydrochloric  (muriatic)  acid,  prepared  by  diluting  the 
concentrated  acid  with  an  equal  volume  of  water.  The  presence  of  limestone  or  some  other 
carbonates  will  be  shown  by  the  appearance  of  gas  bubbles  within  2  or  3  minutes,  producing 
foaming  or  effervescence.  The  absence  of  carbonates  in  a  soil  is  not  in  itself  evidence  that 
the  soil  is  acid  or  that  limestone  should  be  applied,  but  it  indicates  that  the  confirmatory 
potassium  thiocyanate  test  should  be  carried  out. 

Amounts  to  Apply. — Acid  soils  should  be  treated  with  limestone  whenever 
such  application  is  at  all  practicable.  The  initial  application  varies  with  the 
degree  of  acidity  and  will  usually  range  from  2  to  6  tons  an  acre.  The  larger 
amounts  will  be  needed  on  strongly  acid  soils,  particularly  on  land  being  pre- 
pared for  alfalfa.  "When  sufficient  limestone  has  been  used  to  establish  condi- 
tions favorable  to  the  growth  of  legumes,  no  further  applications  are  necessary 
until  the  acidity  again  develops  to  such  an  extent  as  to  interfere  with  the  best 
growth  of  these  crops.  This  will  ordinarily  be  at  intervals  of  several  years.  In 
the  case  of  an  inadequate  supply  of  magnesium  in  the  soil,  the  occasional  use 
of  magnesian  (dolomitic)  limestone  would  serve  to  correct  this  deficiency. 
Otherwise,  so  far  as  present  knowledge  indicates,  either  form  of  limestone — 
high-calcium  or  magnesian — will  be  equally  effective,  depending  upon  the  purity 
and  fineness  of  the  respective  stones. 

Fineness  of  Material. — The  fineness  to  which  limestone  is  ground  is  an  im- 
portant consideration  in  its  use  for  soil  improvement.  Experiments  indicate 
that  a  considerable  range  in  this  regard  is  permissible.  Very  fine  grinding  insures 
ready  solubility,  and  thus  promptness  in  action;   but  the  finer  the  grinding  the 


1  Since  undenatured  alcohol  is  difficult  to  obtain,  some  of  the  denatured  alcohols  have  been 
tested  for  making  this  solution.  Completely  denatured  alcohol  made  over  U.  S.  Formulas  No. 
1  and  No.  4j  have  been  found  satisfactory.  Some  commercial  firms  are  offering  other  prepara- 
tions which  are  satisfactory. 


m 


1926]  Marion  County  33 

greater  is  the  expense  involved.  A  grinding,  therefore,  that  furnishes  not  too 
large  a  proportion  of  coarser  particles  along  with  the  finer,  similar  to  that  of 
the  hy-product  material  on  the  market,  is  to  be  recommended.  Altho  the  exact 
proportions  of  coarse  and  fine  material  cannot  be  prescribed,  it  may  be  said  that 
a  limestone  crushed  so  that  the  coarsest  fragments  will  pass  thru  a  screen  of  4 
to  10  meshes  to  the  inch  is  satisfactory  if  the  total  product  is  used. 

The  Nitrogen  Problem 

Nitrogen  presents  the  greatest  practical  soil  problem  in  American  agricul- 
ture. Four  important  reasons  for  this  are:  its  increasing  deficiency  in  most 
soils ;  its  cost  when  purchased  on  the  open  market ;  its  removal  in  large  amounts 
by  crops;  and  its  loss  from  soils  thru  leaching.  Nitrogen  usually  costs  from 
four  to  five  times  as  much  per  pound  as  phosphorus.  A  100-bushel  crop  of  corn 
requires  150  pounds  of  nitrogen  for  its  growth,  but  only  23  pounds  of  phosphorus. 
The  loss  of  nitrogen  from  soils  may  vary  from  a  few  pounds  to  over  one  hundred 
pounds  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  treatment  of  the  soil,  the  distribution  of 
rainfall,  and  the  protection  afforded  by  growing  crops. 

An  inexhaustible  supply  of  nitrogen  is  present  in  the  air.  Above  each  acre 
of  the  earth's  surface  there  are  about  sixty-nine  million  pounds  of  atmospheric 
nitrogen.  The  nitrogen  above  one  square  mile  weighs  twenty  million  tons,  an 
amount  sufficient  to  supply  the  entire  world  for  four  or  five  decades.  This  large 
supply  of  nitrogen  in  the  air  is  the  one  to  which  the  world  must  eventually  turn. 

There  are  two  methods  of  collecting  the  inert  nitrogen  gas  of  the  air  and 
combining  it  into  compounds  that  will  furnish  products  for  plant  growth.  These 
are  the  chemical  and  the  biological  fixation  of  the  atmospheric  nitrogen.  Farmers 
have  at  their  command  one  of  these  methods.  By  growing  inoculated  legumes, 
nitrogen  may  be  obtained  from  the  air,  and  by  plowing  under  more  than  the 
roots  of  these  legumes,  nitrogen  may  be  added  to  the  soil. 

Inasmuch  as  legumes  are  worth  growing  for  purposes  other  than  the  fixation 
of  atmospheric  nitrogen,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  nitrogen  thus  gained 
may  be  considered  a  by-product.  Because  of  that  fact,  it  is  questionable  whether 
the  chemical  fixation  of  nitrogen  will  ever  be  able  to  replace  the  simple  method 
of  obtaining  atmospheric  nitrogen  by  growing  inoculated  legumes  in  the  pro- 
duction of  our  great  grain  and  forage  crops. 

It  may  well  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  following  amounts  of  nitrogen  are 
required  for  the  produce  named : 

1  bushel  of  oats  (grain  and  straw)  requires  1  pound  of  nitrogen. 
1  bushel  of  corn  (grain  and  stalks)  requires  1%  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  bushel  of  wheat  (grain  and  straw)  requires  2  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  ton  of  timothy  contains  24  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  ton  of  clover  contains  40  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  ton  of  cowpea  hay  contains  43  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  ton  of  alfalfa  contains  50  pounds  of  nitrogen. 
1  ton  of  average  manure  contains  10  pounds  of  nitrogen. 

1  ton  of  young  sweet  clover,  at  about  the  stage  of  growth  when  it  is  plowed  under  as 
green  manure,  contains,  on  water-free  basis,  80  pounds  of  nitrogen. 

The  roots  of  clover  contain  about  half  as  much  nitrogen  as  the  tops,  and  the 
roots  of  cowpeas  contain  about  one-tenth  as  much  as  the  tops.     Soils  of  mod- 


34  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

erate  productive  power  will  furnish  as  much  nitrogen  to  clover  (and  two  or  three, 
times  as  much  to  cowpeas)  as  will  be  left  in  the  roots  and  stubble.  In  grain 
crops,  such  as  wheat,  corn,  and  oats,  about  two-thirds  of  the  nitrogen  is  con- 
tained in  the  grain  and  one-third  in  the  straw  or  stalks. 

The  Phosphorus  Problem 

The  element  phosphorus  is  an  indispensable  constituent  of  every  living  cell. 
It  is  intimately  connected  with  the  life  processes  of  both  plants  and  animals,  the 
nuclear  material  of  the  cells  being  especially  rich  in  this  element. 

The  phosphorus  content  of  the  soil  is  dependent  upon  the  origin  of  the  soil. 
The  removal  of  phosphorus  by  continuous  cropping  slowly  reduces  the  amount 
of  this  element  in  the  soil  available  for  crop  use,  unless  its  addition  is  provided 
for  by  natural  means,  such  as  overflow,  or  by  agricultural  practices,  such  as  the 
addition  of  phosphatic  fertilizers  and  rotations  in  which  deep-rooting,  leguminous 
crops  are  frequently  grown. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  in  connection  with  the  application  of  phosphate, 
or  of  any  other  fertilizing  material,  to  the  soil,  that  no  benefit  can  result  until 
the  need  for  it  has  become  a  limiting  factor  in  plant  growth.  For  example,  if 
there  is  already  present  in  the  soil  sufficient  available  phosphorus  to  produce  a 
forty-bushel  crop,  and  the  nitrogen  supply  or  the  moisture  supply  is  sufficient 
for  only  forty  bushels,  or  less,  then  extra  phosphorus  added  to  the  soil  cannot 
increase  the  yield  beyond  this  forty-bushel  limit. 

There  are  several  different  materials  containing  phosphorus  which  are 
applied  to  land  as  fertilizer.  The  more  important  of  these  are  bone  meal,  acid 
phosphate,  natural  raw  rock  phosphate,  and  basic  slag.  Obviously  that  carrier 
of  phosphorus  which  gives  the  most  economical  returns,  as  considered  from  all 
standpoints,  is  the  most  suitable  one  to  use.  Altho  this  matter  has  been  the 
subject  of  much  discussion  and  investigation  the  question  still  remains  unsettled. 
Probably  there  is  no  single  carrier  of  phosphorus  that  will  prove  to  be  the  most 
economical  one  to  use  under  all  circumstances  because  so  much  depends  upon 
soil  conditions,  crops  grown,  length  of  haul,  and  market  conditions. 

Bone  meal,  prepared  from  the  bones  of  animals,  appears  on  the  market  in 
two  different  forms,  raw  and  steamed.  Raw  bone  meal  contains,  besides  the 
phosphorus,  a  considerable  percentage  of  nitrogen  which  adds  a  useless  expense 
if  the  material  is  purchased  only  for  the  sake  of  the  phosphorus.  As  a  source  of 
phosphorus,  steamed  bone  meal  is  preferable  to  raw  bone  meal.  Steamed  bone 
meal  is  prepared  by  extracting  most  of  the  nitrogenous  and  fatty  matter  from 
the  bones,  thus  producing  a  more  nearly  pure  form  of  calcium  phosphate  con- 
taining about  10  to  12  percent  of  the  element  phosphorus. 

Acid  phosphate  is  produced  by  treating  rock  phosphate  with  sulfuric  acid. 
The  two  are  mixed  in  about  equal  amounts;  the  product  therefore  contains 
about  one-half  as  much  phosphorus  as  the  rock  phosphate  itself.  Besides  phos- 
phorus, acid  phosphate  also  contains  sulfur,  which  is  likewise  an  element  of 
plant  food.     The  phosphorus  in  acid  phosphate  is  more  readily  available  for 


1926]  Marion  County  35 

absorption  by  plants  than  that  of  raw  rock  phosphate.    Acid  phosphate  of  good 
quality  should  contain  6  percent  or  more  of  the  element  phosphorus. 

Rock  phosphate,  sometimes  called  floats,  is  a  mineral  substance  found  in 
vast  deposits  in  certain  regions.  The  phosphorus  in  this  mineral  exists  chem- 
ically as  tri-calcium  phosphate,  and  a  good  grade  of  the  rock  should  contain 
1214  percent,  or  more,  of  the  element  phosphorus.  The  rock  should  be  ground 
to  a  powder,  fine  enough  to  pass  thru  a  100-mesh  sieve,  or  even  finer. 

The  relative  cheapness  of  raw  rock  phosphate,  as  compared  with  the  treated 
or  acidulated  material,  makes  it  possible  to  apply  for  equal  money  expenditure 
considerably  more  phosphorus  per  acre  in  this  form  than  in  the  form  of  acid 
phosphate,  the  ratio  being,  under  the  market  conditions  of  the  past  several  years, 
about  4  to  1.  That  is  to  say,  under  these  market  conditions,  a  dollar  will  pur- 
chase about  four  times  as  much  of  the  element  phosphorus  in  the  form  of  rock 
phosphate  as  in  the  form  of  acid  phosphate,  which  is  an  important  consideration 
if  one  is  interested  in  building  up  a  phosphorus  reserve  in  the  soil.  As  explained 
above,  more  very  carefully  conducted  comparisons  on  various  soil  types  under 
various  cropping  systems  are  needed  before  definite  statements  can  be  given  as 
to  which  form  of  phosphate  is  most  economical  to  use  under  any  given  set  of 
conditions. 

Basic  slag,  known  also  as  Thomas  phosphate,  is  another  carrier  of  phos- 
phorus that  might  be  mentioned  because  of  its  considerable  usage  in  Europe 
and  eastern  United  States.  Basic  slag  phosphate  is  a  by-product  in  the  manu- 
facture of  steel.  It  contains  a  considerable  proportion  of  basic  material  and 
therefore  it  tends  to  influence  the  soil  reaction. 

Rock  phosphate  may  be  applied  at  any  time  during  a  rotation,  but  it  is 
applied  to  the  best  advantage  either  preceding  a  crop  of  clover,  which  plant 
seems  to  possess  an  unusual  power  for  assimilating  the  phosphorus  from  raw 
phosphate,  or  else  at  a  time  when  it  can  be  plowed  under  with  some  form  of 
organic  matter  such  as  animal  manure  or  green  manure,  the  decay  of  which 
serves  to  liberate  the  phosphorus  from  its  insoluble  condition  in  the  rock.  It  is 
important  that  the  finely  ground  rock  phosphate  be  intimately  mixed  with  the 
organic  material  as  it  is  plowed  under. 

In  using  acid  phosphate  or  bone  meal  in  a  cropping  system  which  includes 
wheat,  it  is  a  common  practice  to  apply  the  material  in  the  preparation  of  the 
wheat  ground.  It  may  be  advantageous,  however,  to  divide  the  total  amount 
to  be  used  and  apply  a  portion  to  the  other  crops  of  the  rotation,  particularly 
to  corn  and  to  clover. 

The  Potassium  Problem 

Our  most  common  soils,  which  are  silt  loams  and  clay  loams,  are  well  stocked 
with  potassium,  altho  it  exists  largely  in  a  slowly  soluble  form.  Such  soils  as 
sands  and  peats,  however,  are  likely  to  be  low  in  this  element.  On  such  soils 
this  deficiency  may  be  remedied  by  the  application  of  some  potassium  salt,  such 
as  potassium  sulfate,  potassium  chlorid,  kainit,  or  other  potassium  compound, 
and  in  many  instances  this  is  done  at  great  profit. 


36  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

From  all  the  facts  at  hand  it  seems,  so  far  as  our  great  areas  of  common 
soils  are  concerned,  that,  with  a  few  exceptions,  the  potassium  problem  is  not 
one  of  addition  but  of  liberation.  The  Rothamsted  records,  which  represent  the 
oldest  soil  experiment  fields  in  the  world,  show  that  for  many  years  other  soluble 
salts  have  had  practically  the  same  power  as  potassium  salts  to  increase  crop 
yields  in  the  absence  of  sufficient  decaying  organic  matter.  Whether  this  action 
relates  to  supplying  or  liberating  potassium  for  its  own  sake,  or  to  the  power 
of  the  soluble  salt  to  increase  the  availability  of  phosphorus  or  other  elements, 
is  not  known,  but  where  much  potassium  is  removed,  as  in  the  entire  crops  at 
Rothamsted,  with  no  return  of  organic  residues,  probably  the  soluble  salt  func- 
tions in  both  ways. 

Further  evidence  on  this  matter  is  furnished  by  the  Illinois  experiment  field 
at  Fairfield,  where  potassium  sulfate  has  been  compared  with  kainit  both  with 
and  without  the  addition  of  organic  matter  in  the  form  of  stable  manure.  Both 
sulfate  and  kainit  produced  a  substantial  increase  in  the  yield  of  corn,  but  the 
cheaper  salt — kainit — was  just  as  effective  as  the  potassium  sulfate,  and  returned 
some  financial  profit.  Manure  alone  gave  an  increase  similar  to  that  produced 
by  the  potassium  salts,  but  the  salts  added  to  the  manure  gave  very  little  increase 
over  that  produced  by  the  manure  alone.  This  is  explained  in  part,  perhaps,  by 
the  fact  that  the  potassium  removed  in  the  crops  is  mostly  returned  in  manure 
properly  cared  for,  and  perhaps  in  larger  part  by  the  fact  that  decaying  organic 
matter  helps  to  liberate  and  hold  in  solution  other  plant-food  elements,  especially 
phosphorus. 

In  laboratory  experiments  at  the  Illinois  Experiment  Station,  it  has  been 
shown  that  potassium  salts  and  most  other  soluble  salts  increase  the  solubility  of 
the  phosphorus  in  soil  and  in  rock  phosphate ;  also  that  the  addition  of  glucose 
with  rock  phosphate  in  pot-culture  experiments  increases  the  availability  of  the 
phosphorus,  as  measured  by  plant  growth,  altho  the  glucose  consists  only  of  car- 
bon, hydrogen,  and  oxygen,  and  thus  contains  no  limiting  element  of  plant  food. 

In  considering  the  conservation  of  potassium  on  the  farm  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  in  average  livestock  farming  the  animals  destroy  two-thirds  of 
the  organic  matter  and  retain  one-fourth  of  the  nitrogen  and  phosphorus  from 
the  food  they  consume,  but  that  they  retain  less  than  one-tenth  of  the  potassium ; 
so  that  the  actual  loss  of  potassium  in  the  products  sold  from  the  farm,  either 
in  grain  farming  or  in  livestock  farming,  is  negligible  on  land  containing  25,000 
pounds  or  more  of  potassium  in  the  surface  6%  inches. 

The  Calcium  and  Magnesium  Problem 

When  measured  by  crop  removals  of  the  plant-food  elements,  calcium  is 
often  more  limited  in  Illinois  soils  than  is  potassium,  while  magnesium  may  be 
occasionally.  In  the  case  of  calcium,  however,  the  deficiency  is  likely  to  develop 
more  rapidly  and  become  much  more  marked  because  this  element  is  leached 
out  of  the  soil  in  drainage  water  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  is  either  magnesium 
or  potassium. 

The  annual  loss  of  limestone  from  the  soil  depends,  of  course,  upon  a  num- 
ber of  factors  aside  from   those  which   have  to  do  with   climatic  conditions. 


1926]  Marion  County  37 

Among  these  factors  may  be  mentioned  the  character  of  the  soil,  the  kind  of 
limestone,  its  condition  of  finesness,  the  amount  present,  and  the  sort  of  farming 
practiced.  Because  of  this  variation  in  the  loss  of  lime  materials  from  the  soil, 
it  is  impossible  to  prescribe  a  fixed  practice  in  their  renewal  that  will  apply  uni- 
versally. The  tests  for  acidity  and  carbonates  described  above,  together  with  the 
behavior  of  such  lime-loving  legumes  as  alfalfa  and  sweet  clover,  will  serve  as 
general  indicators  for  the  frequency  of  applying  limestone  and  the  amount  to 
use  on  a  given  field. 

Limestone  has  a  direct  value  on  some  soils  for  the  plant  food  which  it 
supplies,  in  addition  to  its  value  in  correcting  soil  acidity  and  in  improving  the 
physical  condition  of  the  soil.  Ordinary  limestone  (abundant  in  the  southern 
and  western  parts  of  Illinois)  contains  nearly  800  pounds  of  calcium  per  ton; 
while  a  good  grade  of  dolomitic  limestone  (the  more  common  limestone  of  north- 
ern Illinois)  contains  about  400  pounds  of  calcium  and  300  pounds  of  magnesium 
per  ton.  Both  of  these  elements  are  furnished  in  readily  available  form  in 
ground  dolomitic  limestone. 

The  Sulfur  Question 

In  considering  the  relation  of  sulfur  in  a  permanent  system  of  soil  fertility 
it  is  important  to  understand  something  of  the  cycle  of  transformations  that  this 
element  undergoes  in  nature.    Briefly  stated  this  is  as  follows : 

Sulfur  exists  in  the  soil  in  both  organic  and  inorganic  forms,  the  former 
being  gradually  converted  to  the  latter  form  thru  bacterial  action.  In  this 
inorganic  form  sulfur  is  taken  up  by  plants  which  in  their  physiological  pro- 
cesses change  it  once  more  into  an  organic  form  as  a  constituent  of  protein. 
When  these  plant  proteins  are  consumed  by  animals,  the  sulfur  becomes  a  part 
of  the  animal  protein.  When  these  plant  and  animal  proteins  are  decomposed, 
either  thru  bacterial  action,  or  thru  combustion,  as  in  the  burning  of  coal,  the 
sulfur  passes  into  the  atmosphere  or  into  the  soil  solution  in  the  form  of  sulfur 
dioxid  gas.  This  gas  unites  with  oxygen  and  water  to  form  sulfuric  acid,  which 
is  readily  washed  back  into  the  soil  by  the  rain,  thus  completing  the  cycle,  from 
soil — to  plants  and  animals — to  air — to  soil. 

In  this  way  sulfur  becomes  largely  a  self -renewing  element  of  the  soil,  altho 
there  is  a  considerable  loss  from  the  soil  by  leaching.  Observations  taken  at  the 
Illinois  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  show  that  40  pounds  of  sulfur  per 
acre  are  brought  into  the  soil  thru  the  annual  rainfall.  With  a  fair  stock  of 
sulfur,  such  as  exists  in  our  common  types  of  soil,  and  with  an  annual  return, 
which  of  itself  would  more  than  suffice  for  the  needs  of  maximum  crops,  the 
maintenance  of  an  adequate  sulfur  supply  presents  little  reason  at  present  for 
serious  concern.  There  are  regions,  however,  where  the  natural  stock  of  sulfur 
in  the  soil  is  not  nearly  so  high  and  where  the  amount  returned  thru  rainfall  is 
small.  Under  such  circumstances  sulfur  soon  becomes  a  limiting  element  of 
crop  production,  and  it  will  be  necessary  sooner  or  later  to  introduce  this  sub- 
stance from  some  outside  source.  Investigation  is  now  under  way  to  determine 
to  what  extent  this  situation  may  apply  under  Illinois  conditions. 


38  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix  [November, 

Physical  Improvement  of  Soils 

In  the  management  of  most  soil  types,  one  very  important  matter,  aside  from 
proper  fertilization,  tillage,  and  drainage,  is  to  keep  the  soil  in  good  physical 
condition,  or  good  tilth.  The  constituent  most  important  for  this  purpose  is 
organic  matter.  Organic  matter  in  producing  good  tilth  helps  to  control  wash- 
ing of  soil  on  rolling  land,  raises  the  temperature  of  drained  soil,  increases  the 
moisture-holding  capacity  of  the  soil,  slightly  retards  capillary  rise  and  conse- 
quently loss  of  moisture  by  surface  evaporation,  and  helps  to  overcome  the 
tendency  of  some  soils  to  run  together  badly. 

The  physical  effect  of  organic  matter  is  to  produce  a  granulation  or  mellow- 
ness, by  cementing  the  fine  soil  particles  into  crumbs  or  grains  about  as  large  as 
grains  of  sand,  which  produces  a  condition  very  favorable  for  tillage,  percolation 
of  rainfall,  and  the  development  of  plant  roots. 

Organic  matter  is  undergoing  destruction  during  a  large  part  of  the  year 
and  the  nitrates  produced  in  its  decomposition  are  used  for  plant  growth.  Altho 
this  decomposition  is  necessary,  it  nevertheless  reduces  the  amount  of  organic 
matter,  and  provision  must  therefore  be  made  for  maintaining  the  supply.  The 
practical  way  to  do  this  is  to  turn  under  the  farm  manure,  straw,  cornstalks, 
weeds,  and  all  or  part  of  the  legumes  produced  on  the  farm.  The  amount  of 
legumes  needed  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  soil.  There  are  farms,  espe- 
cially grain  farms,  in  nearly  every  community  where  all  legumes  could  be  turned 
under  for  several  years  to  good  advantage. 

Manure  should  be  spread  upon  the  land  as  soon  as  possible  after  it  is  pro- 
duced, for  if  it  is  allowed  to  lie  in  the  barnyard  several  months  as  is  so  often 
the  case,  from  one-third  to  two-thirds  of  the  organic  matter  will  be  lost. 

Straw  and  cornstalks  should  be  turned  under,  and  not  burned.  There  is 
considerable  evidence  indicating  that  on  some  soils  undecomposed  straw  applied 
in  excessive  amount  may  be  detrimental.  Probably  the  best  practice  is  to  apply 
the  straw  as  a  constituent  of  well-rotted  stable  manure.  Perhaps  no  form  of 
organic  matter  acts  more  beneficially  in  producing  good  tilth  than  cornstalks.  It 
is  true,  they  decay  rather  slowly,  but  it  is  also  true  that  their  durability  in  the 
soil  is  exactly  what  is  needed  in  the  production  of  good  tilth.  Furthermore, 
the  nitrogen  in  a  ton  of  cornstalks  is  one  and  one-half  times  that  of  a  ton  of 
manure,  and  a  ton  of  dry  cornstalks  incorporated  in  the  soil  will  ultimately 
furnish  as  much  humus  as  four  tons  of  average  farm  manure.  When  burned, 
however,  both  the  humus-making  material  and  the  nitrogen  are  lost  to  the  soil. 

It  is  a  common  practice  in  the  corn  belt  to  pasture  the  cornstalks  during 
the  winter  and  often  rather  late  in  the  spring  after  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground. 
This  trampling  by  stock  sometimes  puts  the  soil  in  bad  condition  for  working. 
It  becomes  partially  puddled  and  will  be  cloddy  as  a  result.  If  tramped  too 
late  in  the  spring,  the  natural  agencies  of  freezing  and  thawing  and  wetting 
and  drying,  with  the  aid  of  ordinary  tillage,  fail  to  produce  good  tilth  before 
the  crop  is  planted.  Whether  the  crop  is  corn  or  oats,  it  necessarily  suffers  and 
if  the  season  is  dry,  much  damage  may  be  done.  If  the  field  is  put  in  corn,  a 
poor  stand  is  likely  to  result,  and  if  put  in  oats,  the  soil  is  so  compact  as  to  be 
unfavorable  for  their  growth.    Sometimes  the  soil  is  worked  when  too  wet.    This 


1026]  Marion  County  39 

also  produces  a  partial  puddling  which  is  unfavorable  to  physical,  chemical,  and 
biological  processes.  The  effect  becomes  worse  if  cropping  has  reduced  the 
organic  matter  below  the  amount  necessary  to  maintain  good  tilth. 

Systems  of  Crop  Rotations 

In  a  program  of  permanent  soil  improvement  one  should'  adopt  at  the  outset 
a  good  rotation  of  crops,  including,  for  the  reasons  discussed  above,  a  liberal 
use  of  legumes.  No  one  can  say  in  advance  for  every  particular  case  what  will 
prove  to  be  the  best  rotation  of  crops,  because  of  variation  in  farms  and  farmers 
and  in  prices  for  produce.  As  a  general  principle  the  shorter  rotations,  with 
the  frequent  introduction  of  leguminous  crops,  are  the  better  adapted  for  build- 
ing up  poor  soils. 

Following  are  a  few  suggested  rotations  which  may  serve  as  models  or  out- 
lines to  be  modified  according  to  special  circumstances. 

Six- Year  Rotations 
First  year      — Corn 
Second  year  — Corn 

Third  year     — Wheat  or  oats  (with  clover,  or  clover  and  grass) 
Fourth  year  — Clover,  or  clover  and  grass 
Fifth  year     — Wheat  (with  clover),  or  grass  and  clover 
Sixth  year      — Clover,  or  clover  and  grass 

Of  course  there  should  be  as  many  fields  as  there  are  years  in  the  rotation. 
In  grain  farming,  with  small  grain  grown  the  third  and  fifth  years,  most  of  the 
unsalable  products  should  be  returned  to  the  soil,  and  the  clover  may  be  clipped 
and  left  on  the  land  or  returned  after  threshing  out  the  seed  (only  the  clover 
seed  being  sold  the  fourth  and  sixth  years)  ;  or,  in  livestock  farming,  the  field 
may  be  used  three  years  for  timothy  and  clover  pasture  and  meadow  if  desired. 
The  system  may  be  reduced  to  a  five-year  rotation  by  cutting  out  either  the  sec- 
ond or  the  sixth  year,  and  to  a  four-year  system  by  omitting  the  fifth  and  sixth 
years,  as  indicated  below. 

Five-Year  Rotations 
First  year      — Corn 

Second  year  — Wheat  or  oats  (with  clover,  or  clover  and  grass) 
Third  year     — Clover,  or  clover  and  grass 
Fourth  year  — Wheat  (with  clover),  or  clover  and  grass 
Fifth  year     — Clover,  or  clover  and  grass 

First  year      — Corn 

Second  year  — Corn 

Third  year     — Wheat  or  oats  (with  clover,  or  cloveT  and  grass) 

Fourth  year  — Clover,  or  clover  and  grass 

Fifth  year     — Wheat  (with  clover) 

First  year  — Corn 

Second  year  — Cowpeas  or  soybeans 

Third  year  — Wheat  (with  clover) 

Fourth  year  — Clover 

Fifth  year  — Wheat  (with  clover) 

The  last  rotation  mentioned  above  allows  legumes  to  be  grown  four  times. 
Alfalfa  may  be  grown  on  a  sixth  field  for  five  or  six  years  in  the  combination 
rotation,  alternating  between  two  fields  every  five  years,  or  rotating  over  all  the 
fields  if  moved  every  six  years. 


40 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Appendix 


Four- Year  Rotations 

First  year      — Corn  Fvrst  year      — Corn 

Second  year  —Wheat  or  oats  (with  clover)  Second  year  — Corn 

Third  year     — Clover  Third  year 

Fourth  year  — Wheat  (with  clover)  Fourth  year 


[November, 


•Wheat  or  oats   (with  clover) 
-Clover 


First  year  — Corn 

Second  year  — Cowpeas  or  soybeans 

Third  year  — Wheat  (with  clover) 

Fourth  year  — Clover 


First  year      — Wheat  (with  clover) 

Second  year  — Clover 

Third  year     — Corn 

Fourth  year  —Oats  (with  clover) 


Alfalfa  may  be  grown  on  a  fifth  field  for  four  or  eight  years,  which  is  to  be 
alternated  with  one  of  the  four ;  or  the  alfalfa  may  be  moved  every  five  years, 
and  thus  rotated  over  all  five  fields  every  twenty-five  years. 

Three-Year  Rotations 

First  year      — Corn  First  year      — Wheat  or  oats  (with  clover) 

Second  year  — Oats  or  wheat   (with  clover)  Second  year  — Corn 

Third  year     — Clover  Third  year     — Cowpeas  or  soybeans 

By  allowing  the  clover,  in  the  last  rotation  mentioned,  to  grow  in  the  spring 
before  preparing  the  land  for  corn,  we  have  provided  a  system  in  which  legumes 
grow  on  every  acre  every  year.  This  is  likewise  true  of  the  following  suggested 
two-year  system : 

Two- Year  Rotations 

First  year      — Oats  or  wheat  (with  sweet  clover) 
Second  year  — Corn 

Altho  in  this  two-year  rotation  either  oats  or  wheat  is  suggested,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  by  dividing  the  land  devoted  to  small  grain,  both  of  these  crops  can  be 
grown  simultaneously,  thus  providing  a  three-crop  system  in  a  two-year  cycle. 

It  should  be  understood  that  in  all  of  the  above  suggested  cropping  systems 
it  may  be  desirable  in  some  cases  to  substitute  rye  for  the  wheat  or  oats.  Or,  in 
some  cases,  it  may  become  desirable  to  divide  the  acreage  of  small  grain  and 
grow  in  the  same  year  more  than  one  kind.  In  all  of  these  proposed  rotations 
the  word  clover  is  used  in  a  general  sense  to  designate  either  red  clover,  alsike 
clover,  or  sweet  clover.  The  value  of  sweet  clover,  especially  as  a  green  manure 
for  building  up  depleted  soils,  as  well  as  a  pasture  and  hay-crop,  is  becoming 
thoroly  established,  and  its  importance  in  a  crop-rotation  program  may  well 
be  emphasized. 


SUPPLEMENT:  EXPERIMENT  FIELD  DATA 

(Results  from  Experiment  Fields  on  Soil  Types  Similar  to  Those  Occurring  in 

Marion  County) 

The  University  of  Illinois  has  operated  altogether  about  fifty  soil  experiment 
fields  in  different  sections  of  the  state  and  on  various  types  of  soil.  Altho  some  of 
these  fields  have  been  discontinued,  the  large  majority  are  still  in  operation.  It 
is  the  present  purpose  to  report  the  summarized  results  from  certain  of  these 
fields  located  on  types  of  soil  described  in  the  accompanying  soil  report. 

A  few  general  explanations  at  this  point,  which  apply  to  all  the  fields,  will 
relieve  the  necessity  of  numerous  repetitions  in  the  following  pages. 

Size  and  Arrangement  of  Fields 

The  soil  experiment  fields  vary  in  size  from  less  than  two  acres  up  to  40  acres 
or  more.  They  are  laid  off  into  series  of  plots,  the  plots  commonly  being  either 
one-fifth  or  one-tenth  acre  in  area.  Each  series  is  occupied  by  one  kind  of  crop. 
Usually  there  are  several  series  so  that  a  crop  rotation  can  be  carried  on  with 
every  crop  represented  every  "year. 

Farming  Systems 

On  many  of  the  fields  the  treatment  provides  for  two  distinct  systems  of 
farming,  livestock  farming  and  grain  farming. 

In  the  livestock  system,  stable  manure  is  used  to  furnish  organic  matter  and 
nitrogen.  The  amount  applied  to  a  plot  is  based  upon  the  amount  that  can  be 
produced  from  crops  raised  on  that  plot. 

In  the  grain  system  no  animal  manure  is  used.  The  organic  matter  and 
nitrogen  are  applied  in  the  form  of  platit  manures,  including  the  plant  residues 
produced,  such  as  cornstalks,  straw  from  wheat,  oats,  clover,  etc.,  along  with 
leguminous  catch  crops  plowed  under.  It  was  the  plan  in  this  latter  system  to 
remove  from  the  land,  in  the  main,  only  the  grain  and  seed  produced,  except  in 
the  case  of  alfalfa,  that  crop  being  harvested  for  hay  the  same  as  in  the  livestock 
system.     Some  modifications  have  been  introduced  in  recent  years. 

Crop  Rotations 

Crops  which  are  of  interest  in  the  respective  localities  are  grown  in  definite 
rotations.  The  most  common  rotation  used  is  wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  clover ;  and 
often  these  crops  are  accompanied  by  alfalfa  growing  on  a  fifth  series.  In  the 
grain  system  a  legume  catch  crop,  usually  sweet,  clover,  is  included,  which  is 
seeded  on  the  young  wheat  in  the  spring  and  plowed  under  in  the  fall  or  in  the 
following  spring  in  preparation  for  corn.  If  the  red  clover  crop  fails,  soybeans 
are  substituted. 

Soil  Treatment 

The  treatment  applied  to  the  plots  has,  for  the  most  part,  been  standardized 
according  to  a  rather  definite  system,  altho  deviations  from  this  system  occur  now 
and  then,  particularly  in  the  older  fields. 

41 


42 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


.Following  is  a  brief  explanation  of  this  standard  system  of  treatment. 

Animal  Manures. — Animal  manures,  consisting  of  excreta  from  animals, 
with  stable  litter,  are  spread  upon  the  respective  plots  in  amounts  proportionate 
to  previous  crop  yields,  the  applications  being  made  in  the  preparation  for  corn. 

Plant  Manures. — Crop  residues  produced  on  the  land,  such  as  stalks,  straw, 
and  chaff,  are  returned  to  the  soil,  and  in  addition  a  green-manure  crop  of  sweet 
clover  is  seeded  in  small  grains  to  be  plowed  under  in  preparation  for  corn.  (On 
plots  where  limestone  is  lacking  the  sweet  clover  seldom  survives.)  This  practice 
is  designated  as  the  residues  system. 

Mineral  Manures. — The  yearly  acre-rates  of  application  have  been:  for 
limestone,  1,000  pounds  after  the  first  rotation,  for  which  4  tons  was  applied; 
for  raw  rock  phosphate,  500  pounds;  and  for  potassium,  usually  200  pounds 
of  kainit.  When  kainit  was  not  available,  owing  to  conditions  brought  on  by 
the  World  war,  potassium  carbonate  was  used.  The  initial  application  of  lime- 
stone has  usually  been  4  tons  an  acre. 

Explanation  of  Symbols  Used 

0    =  Untreated  land  or  check  plots 

M  =  Manure  (animal) 

R,   =  Residues  (from  crops,  and  includes  legumes  used  as  green  manure) 

L    =  Limestone 

P    =  Phosphorus,  in  the  form  of  rock  phosphate  unless  otherwise  designated 

(aP  =  acid  phosphate,  bP  =  bone  meal,  rP  =  rock  phosphate,  sP  =  slag 

phosphate) 
K   =  Potassium  (usually  in  the  form  of  kainit) 
N    =  Nitrogen  (usually  in  the  form  contained  in  dried  blood) 
Le  ==  Legume  used  as  green  manure 
Cv  =  Cover  crop 
(  )  =  Parentheses  enclosing  figures,  signifying  tons  of  hay  as  distinguished  from 

bushels  of  seed 

|    =  Heavy  vertical  rule,  indicating  the  beginning  of  complete  treatment 
=  Double  vertical  rule,  indicating  a  radical  change  in  the  cropping  system 

In  discussions  of  this  sort  of  data,  financial  profits  or  losses  based  upon 
assigned  market  values  are  frequently  considered.  However,  in  view  of  the 
erratic  fluctuations  in  market  values — especially  in  the  past  few  years- — it  seems 
futile  to  attempt  to  set  any  prices  for  this  purpose  that  are  at  all  satisfactory. 
The  yields  are  therefore  presented  with  the  thought  that  with  these  figures  at 
hand  the  financial  returns  from  a  given  practice  can  readily  be  computed  upon 
the  basis  of  any  set  of  market  values  that  the  reader  may  choose  to  apply. 


THE  ODIN  FIELD 

The  Odin  soil  experiment  field,  located  in  Marion  county  about  one  mile 
southwest  of  Odin,  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  outlying  University  experiment 
fields.    It  was  established  in  1902. 


1936]  Marion  County  43 

The  field  consists  of  20  acres  of  light-colored  upland  soil,  mainly  of  the  type 
Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay,  which  is  one  of  the  prevailing  prairie  types  of 
a  large  region  in  southern  Illinois.  A  detailed  examination  reveals  the  presence 
of  a  small  area  in  the  north  corner  of  the  field  of  a  type  having  a  somewhat 
different  subsoil  from  that  of  the  main  body  of  the  field  and  designated  as  Gray 
Silt  Loam  On  Plastic  Reddish  Brown  Clay.  There  is  also  present  near  the  west 
corner  of  the  field  a  very  small  spot  of  Yellow-Gray  Silt  Loam,  but  this  lies 
almost  wholly  on  the  border  between  plots,  and  therefore  should  not  materially 
affect  the  experimental  work.  The  location  of  these  soil  types,  as  well  as  the 
arrangement  of  plots,  is  charted  on  the  diagram  shown  on  the  following  page. 
The  topography,  or  lay  of  the  land,  is  indicated  on  this  map  by  contour  lines. 

The  field  at  present  is  laid  out  into  four  separate  systems  of  plots,  each 
system  with  its  own  plan  of  experimentation.  An  account,  including  complete 
records,  of  each  of  these  plot -systems  follows. 

Series  100,  200,  300,  400 

These  series  are  divided  into  two  sections  differing  from  each  other  with 
respect  to  underdrainage.  Plots  numbering  from  6  to  10  inclusive  are  provided 
with  a  system  of  tile,  while  the  corresponding  plots  numbering  1  to  5  inclusive 
are  not  tiled.  During  the  period  from  1907  to  1919  the  northeast  half  of  each 
plot  was  subjected  to  subsoil  plowing  in  preparing  the  land  for  corn. 

The  rotation  chiefly  practiced  on  Series  100,  200,  300,  and  400  has  been 
corn,  legumes  (cowpeas  or  soybeans),  wheat,  and  clover.  Until  1922  the  clover 
was  alsike,  soybeans  being  substituted  if  the  clover  failed.  Since  that  time  sweet 
clover  has  been  used  instead  of  alsike.  A  part  of  the  time  cowpeas  were  seeded 
in  the  corn,  at  the  last  cultivation. 

Crop  residues  and  cover  crops  have  been  regularly  plowed  down  on  the 
residue  plots.    The  return  of  the  wheat  straw  was  discontinued  in  1922. 

In  1902  slaked  lime,  at  the  acre  rate  of  475  pounds,  was  applied  to  the  limed 
plots,  and  in  1903  an  additional  2  tons  was  applied  to  these  plots.  No  more  lime 
was  added  until  1908,  after  which  it' was  applied  regularly  at  the  annual  rate  of 
500  pounds  of  limestone  an  acre  to  the  northwest  halves  and  1,000  pounds  an 
acre  to  the  southeast  halves  of  these  plots.  In  1922  these  applications  were 
temporarily  discontinued  until  further  need  for  lime  appears. 

Phosphorus  has  been  used  in  the  form  of  steamed  bone  meal,  which  was 
applied  at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  an  acre  a  year  until  1923,  when  the  total  amount 
of  the  bone  meal  was  evened  up  on  all  the  phosphorus  plots  to  4,800  pounds  an 
acre  and  the  application  temporarily  discontinued.  Potassium  was  applied  at 
the  annual  rate  of  100  pounds  an  acre  of  potassium  sulfate  until  1923.  At  that 
time  the  total  amount  applied  was  evened  up  to  2,500  pounds  and  plans  made 
to  continue  the  application  on  the  southwest  halves  of  the  plots  at  the  normal  rate. 

Table  7  is  presented  as  a  record  of  the  crop  yields  on  these  series  since  the 
beginning  of  the  experiments.  Table  8  summarizes  the  yields,  by  crops,  for  the 
period  during  which  the  plots  have  been  under  their  full  fertilizer  treatment. 
The  lower  section  of  this  table  gives  a  more  condensed  summary  in  terms  of  crop 


; 


44 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


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48 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


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1926] 


Marion  County 


49 


Table  8.— ODIN  FIELD:     Series  100,  200,  300,  400 
Average  Annual  Yields  1903-1925 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Serial 

Soil  treatment 
applied1 

Corn 
22  crops 

Soy- 
beans 

19  crops 

Wheat 
28  crops 

Alsike  clover 

Sweet 
clover 

3  crops 

Stubble 
clover 

2  crops 

Cowpeas 

Plot 
No. 

Hay 

2  crops 

Seed 
1  crop 

Hay 

8  crops 

Seed 
1  crop 

1 

0 

22.8 
23.5 
27.1 
27.1 
43.7 

17.7 
22.0 
27.5 
29.0 
40.5 

8.1 

9.3 

10.9 

10.3 

13.3 

6.4 

7.7 

10.8 

10.6 

13.0 

9.5 

9.3 

17.5 

22.5 

25.8 

7.2 
10.6 
17.6 
23.8 
25.6 

(   -ID 
(   -14) 
(  -99) 
(1.10) 

(1.87) 

(  -19) 
(  -18) 
(1.07) 
(1.12) 
(1.65) 

.42 
1.25 
1.67 
1.67 
1.83 

.92 
1.50 
3.08 
2.83 
2.00 

0.00 
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1.71 
1.10 
1.76 

0.00 
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.99 
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1.37 

(0.00) 
(0.00) 
(   -70) 
(   .70) 
(   -90) 

(0.00) 
(0.00) 
(   -41) 
(   -48) 
(  -78) 

(   -58) 
(   -62) 
(   .57) 
(   -64) 

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(   -52) 
(   .62) 
(   -61) 
(   -71) 
(1.11) 

1.7 

2 

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3 

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4 

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5 

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6 

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7 

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9 

10 

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3.9 

R  over  0 

RL  over  R 

RLP  over  RL... 
RLPK  over  RLP 

2.5 

4.6 

.8 

14.1 

1.3 

2.4 
-.4 

2.7 

1.6 
7.6 
5.6 

2.7 

(  -01) 
(  .87) 
(  .08) 

(   .65) 

.71 

1.00 

-.13 

-.34 

.07 

1.28 

-.42 

.59 

(0.00) 
(   .56) 
(   -04) 

(   -25) 

(  .07) 
(-.03) 
(   .09) 

(   -44) 

.1 

0.0 

-.6 

2.3 

'Plots  1  to  5  not  tiled;  Plots  6  to  10  tiled. 

increases,  indicating  the  effects  of  the  different  fertilizing  materials  as  they  were 
used  in  these  experiments.  The  figures  given  are  derived  from  the  results  of 
the  corresponding  tiled  and  untiled  plots  averaged  together. 

Organic  manure  is  provided  in  these  experiments  by  plowing  under  crop 
residues  and  legume  crops  used  as  green  manure.  The  crop  yields  show  little 
effect  from  residues  alone.  Residues  with  limestone,  however,  have  produced, 
with  a  single  exception,  notable  increases  in  yields.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  the  one  crop  which  does  not  show  a  beneficial  effect  from  limestone  is  cow- 
peas,  and  the  cowpea  is  generally  known  as  a  plant  tolerant  to  soil  acidity. 

Regarding  the  phosphorus  treatment  on  these  series  it  will  be  observed  that 
wheat  shows  a  marked  benefit  from  bone  meal,  but  the  other  crops  have  responded 


Fig.  3. — Wheat  on  the  Odin  Field  in  1920 

At  the  left  is  a  check  plot,  receiving  no  soil  treatment,  where  the  average  yield  of  wheat 
for  23  crops  has  been  8.4  bushels  an  acre.  At  the  right,  thru  the  use  of  limestone  and  crop 
residues,  this  yield  was  doubled.  By  adding  bonemeal  to  this  treatment,  another  increase  was 
produced,  bringing  the  yield  up  to  23.2  bushels. 


50 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


OTOP  RESIDUES    BONE  MEAL 
"LIMESTONE    potas^sulfate 


>*'  - 


NOTREATMENT 


Fig.  4. — Corn  Yield  Doubled  by  Soil  Treatment  on  the  Odin  Field  in  1923 

The  pile  of  corn  at  the  right  was  produced  on  a  plot  receiving  no  soil  treatment.  The 
pile  at  the  left  was  produced  on  a  plot  receiving  crop  residues,  limestone,  bonemeal,  and 
potassium  sulfate. 

indifferently.  With  a  single  exception,  the  potassium  treatment  has  been  attended 
by  some  increase  in  yield,  and  in  the  case  of  the  corn  this  increase  is  very 
pronounced. 

So  far  as  the  effect  of  tiling  is  concerned,  the  average  results  show  no  con- 
sistent differences  of  consequence  between  the  plots  of  the  tiled  section  and  those 
of  the  untiled  section.  It  is  probably  on  account  of  the  impervious  nature  of  the 
subsoil  that  the  presence  of  the  tile  has  had  little  effect  on  the  drainage. 

These  results  on  the  whole  point  to  the  necessity  of  using  limestone  with 
organic  manures  in  improving  this  soil.  The  organic  manure  has  been  supplied 
in  these  experiments  by  crop  residues  and  legumes,  but  on  the  farm,  of  course, 
all  available  stable  manure  should  be  utilized. 


Experiments  in  Subsoiling 

In  order  to  learn  whether  something  could  be  done  to  overcome  the  un- 
favorable subsoil  condition  in  this  kind  of  land,  by  subsoil  plowing,  an  experiment 
was  started  in  1907  and  continued  for  thirteen  years.  In  this  experiment  one-half 
of  each  plot  in  both  tiled  and  untiled  sections  was  plowed  and  subsoiled,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  in  the  late  fall.  The  effect  on  crop  yields  was  measured  only  in  the 
corn,  this  crop  being  harvested  by  half  plots.  The  yields  are  given  in  Table  9, 
the  figures  representing  the  averages  for  corresponding  tiled  and  untiled  plots. 

The  general  averages  for  the  entire  thirteen-year  period  show  only  insig- 
nificant differences  in  yield  between  subsoiled  plots  and  plots  not  subsoiled. 
Indeed  these  differences  are  so  small  that  they  may  be  regarded  as  being  within 
the  experimental  error,  and  the  only  conclusion  warranted  is  that  the  expensive 
practice  of  subsoiling  has  produced  no  significant  effect  upon  the  yield  of  corn 
in  this  investigation. 

For  a  more  detailed  account  of  this  experiment  in  subsoiling,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  Bulletin  258  of  this  Station. 


1926] 


Marion  County 


51 


Table  9. — ODIN  FIELD:    Experiments  in  Subsoiling 
Yields  of  Corn — Bushels  per  acre 


Soil  treatment 

None 

R 

RL 

RLP 

RLPK 

Tillage  treatment 

Not 
sub- 
soiled 

Sub- 
soiled 

Not 
sub- 
soiled 

Sub- 
soiled 

Not 
sub- 
soiled 

Sub- 
soiled 

Not 
sub- 
soiled 

Sub- 
soiled 

Not 
sub- 
soiled 

Sub- 
soiled 

1907' 

1908' 

1909 

44.4 

35.5 

29.3 

28.9 

16.8 

26.1 

2.5 

4.3 

35.3 

13.4 

9.3 

4.2 

.5 

37.6 

32.5 

24.1 

22.5 

13.3 

31.7 

3.2 

4.0 

31.7 

12.4 

9.5 

6.0 

.3 

50.1 

33.2 

30.4 

32.8 

19.0 

39.6 

3.9 

3.3 

40.5 

15.7 

14.1 

7.4 

.7 

43.2 

26.4 

27.2 

35.1 

19.9 

24.0 

3.6 

4.3 

43.3 

16.5 

10.3 

6.3 

.4 

47.3 

35.5 

29.2 

40.3 

24.7 

48.6 

4.1 

2.1 

47.6 

19.5 

11.2 

11.5 

2.8 

47.3 

34.9 

28.5 

37.5 

22.7 

47.5 

4.1 

2.4 

44.0 

21.0 

11.8 

11.3 

3.0 

47.0 

39.9 

28.9 

38.7 

22.8 

49.4 

6.1 

2.0 

43.2 

19.5 

13.8 

12.8 

1.9 

44.4 

45.9 

37.6 

39.9 

19.9 

53.1 

7.9 

2.5 

41.9 

19.9 

13.8 

12.7 

2.3 

70.1 
76.1 
54.0 
79.9 
35.7 
65.4 
10.1 

3.1 
57.4 
31.9 
30.9 
19.8 

3.5 

59.4 
60.3 
60.4 

1910 

85.7 

1911 

40.4 

19122 

48.5 

1913' 

10.2 

1914' 

5.0 

1915' 

50.0 

1916' 

27.0 

1917 

30.2 

1918' 

19.7 

1919 

3.3 

Average 

19.9 

17.7 

22.3 

20.0 

24.7 

24.3 

25.0 

26.3 

41.3 

38.4 

'Replowed  in  spring.     2Plowed  and  subsoiled  in  spring. 


Comparative  Phosphate  Tests 

The  land  included  in  the  present  Series  500,  600,  700,  and  800  was  originally 
plotted  as  one  series  of  six  long  plots  designated  as  Series  500  and  used  for  the 
purpose  of  studying  the  relative  value  of  various  carriers  of  phosphorus  applied 
in  amounts  equivalent  to  equal  money  values  on  limed  and  unlimed  land. 

A  rotation  of  corn,  oats,  and  three  years  of  clover-timothy  meadow  was  first 
established  on  this  series.  Cowpeas  were  seeded  in  the  corn  for  use  as  residues. 
The  phosphates  were  applied  at  the  annual  acre  rate  of  200  pounds  of  steamed 
bone  meal,  333  pounds  of  acid  phosphate,  666  pounds  of  rock  phosphate,  and  250 
pounds  of  slag  phosphate,  amounts  representing  equivalent  money  value  at  the 
time  these  experiments  were  planned.  The  first  application  of  lime  was  at  the 
acre  rate  of  iy2  tons  to  the  southeast  halves.  Subsequent  applications  were  at  the 
annual  acre  rate  of  1,000  pounds.  Potassium  at  the  annual  acre  rate  of  100 
pounds  of  potassium  sulfate  was  applied  to  all  plots.  These  applications  were  dis- 
continued in  1913. 

The  annual  yields  from  these  plots  are  given  in  detail  in  Table  10,  and  the 
results  are  summarized  by  crops  in  Table  11.  The  lower  part  of  Table  11 
shows  differences  in  crop  yields  presumed  to  have  resulted  from  applying  the 
various  forms  of  phosphatic  fertilizers  for  all  the  crops  harvested  from  1904  up 
to  1921,  after  which  time  the  plot  treatments  were  modified.  Altho  it  is  recog- 
nized that  these  data  are  too  meagre  for  final  conclusions,  the  following  com- 
ments based  upon  these  figures  for  crop  increases  may  be  made. 

It  appears  that  the  various  phosphorus  carriers — bone  meal,  acid  phosphate, 
rock  phosphate,  and  slag  phosphate — rank  differently  in  efficiency,  according  to 
the  kind  of  crop  produced.  Considering  first  the  results  without  limestone,  we 
find  the  following  order  of  efficiency :  for  corn — bone,  acid,  slag,  rock ;  for  oats — 
acid,  either  bone  or  rock,  slag;    and  for  hay — bone,  slag,  either  acid  or  rock. 


52 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


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Marion  County 


53 


Table  11. — ODIN  FIELD:     Comparative  Phosphate  Tests 
Summary  of  Crop  Yields  1904-1921 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Plot 
No. 


501  NW 

501  SE 

502  NW 

502  SE 

503  NW 

503  SE 

504  NW 

504  SE 

505  NW 

505  SE 

506  NW 
506  SE 


Soil  treatment  applied 

RK,  bone  phosphate 

RKL,  bone  phosphate , 

RK 

RKL 

RK,  acid  phosphate 

RKL,  acid  phosphate 

RK,  rock  phosphate 

RKL,  rock  phosphate 

RK 

RKL 

RK,  slag  phosphate 

RKL,  slag  phosphate 

RKbPover  RK 

RKLbP  over  RKL 

RKaP  over  RK 

RKLaP  over  RKL 

RKrP  over  RK 

RKLrP  over  RKL 

RKsP  over  RK 

RKLsP  over  RKL 


Corn 
4  crops 


23.6 
26.0 

20.8 
21.1 

22.5 
23.7 

20.3 
25.5 

16.3 
21.8 

20.5 
25.2 


5.1 
4.5 

4.0 
2.2 

1.8 
4.0 

2.0 
3.7 


Oats 
3  crops 


43.4 
40.3 

35.6 
35.8 

43.8 
34.5 

43.4 
39.6 

32.0 
39.0 

41.9 
47.4 


9.6 
2.9 

10.0 
-2.9 

9.6 
2.2 

8.1 
10.0 


Hay 

10  crops 


1.05) 
1.42) 

.62) 
1.28) 

.68) 
1.33) 

.68) 
1.36) 

.52) 
1.24) 

.78) 
1.34) 


.48) 
.16) 

.11) 
.07) 

.11) 
.10) 

•  21) 
.08) 


Used  with  limestone,  the  relative  efficiencies  run  as  follows :  for  corn — bone,  rock, 
slag,  acid ;  for  oats — slag,  bone,  rock,  acid ;  and  for  hay — bone,  rock,  slag,  acid. 
In  general,  the  differences  are  small  and  a  careful  analysis  of  the  data  shows  that 
most  of  them  are  to  be  considered  insignificant,  that  is  to  say,  well  within  the 
experimental  error. 

These  results  illustrate  well  the  difficulty  of  laying  down  definite  rules  for 
practice  in  applying  phosphorus  fertilizer.  To  this  point  in  the  discussion  there 
has  been  taken  into  account  only  the  effect  on  production.  When  the  economy 
from  a  financial  standpoint  is  considered,  the  matter  becomes  more  complicated, 
for  all  depends  upon  relative  cost  of  materials  applied  as  well  as  upon  the  market 
value  of  produce  sold,  both  of  which  are  constantly  fluctuating.  However,  with 
the  data  of  Table  11,  one  may  compute  for  himself  the  relative  economy  of  pro- 
ducing these  crop  increases  by  applying  any  set  of  prices  for  crops  and  fertilizers 
which  appears  to  be  most  applicable  according  to  prevailing  market  conditions. 
In  so  doing,  however,  it  should  constantly  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  order  of 
efficiency  might  easily  be  shifted  thru  a  relatively  small  change  in  commodity 
prices. 

In  1922  this  series  was  reploited  into  the  present  500,  600,  700,  and  800 
series,  and  a  different  system  of  rotation  established  for  further  investigation 
of  the  various  forms  of  phosphorus  fertilizer.  Limestone  at  the  rate  of  one  ton 
an  acre  was  applied  for  the  first  time  to  the  originally  unlimed  areas,  and  further 


54  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement  [November, 

Table  12. — ODIN  FIELD:     Comparative  Phosphate  Tests,  Revised 
Annual  Crop  Yields  1922-1925 — Bushels  per  acre 


Plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied1 

1922 
Corn2 

1923 
Wheat2 

1924 
Corn 

1925 
Wheat 

501 
502 

LeLK,  bone  phosphate 

LeLK 

36.6 
24.6 
32.8 
32.6 
21.2 
30.2 

17.5 
6.0 

14.5 

13.3 
6.2 

16.0 

24.0 
27.4 
21.6 
29.2 
23.6 
42.4 

15.2 

8.7 

503 
504 
505 

LeLK,  acid  phosphate 

LeLK,  rock  phosphate 

LeLK 

12.3 

14.5 

7.3 

506 

LeLK,  slag  phosphate 

14.5 

Oats2 

Corn 

Wheat 

Corn 

601 
602 

LeLK,  bone  phosphate 

LeLK 

1.9 
1.6 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
5.0 

10.8 

7.2 

9.8 

8.8 

10.2 

17.2 

22.5 
1.0 
18.8 
10.8 
.7 
13.5 

24.0 
25.8 

603 
604 
605 

LeLK,  acid  phosphate 

LeLK,  rock  phosphate 

LeLK 

30.4 
18.0 
15.6 

606 

LeLK,  slag  phosphate 

11.6 

Corn2 

Wheat2 

Corn 

Wheat 

701 
702 

LeLK,  bone  phosphate 

LeLK 

20.4 
20.0 
19.8 
19.6 
23.0 
25.2 

24.7 
24.2 
19.8 
18.0 
18.7 
21.2 

24.4 
28.0 
33.8 
40.8 
45.8 
26.4 

24.2 
25.5 

703 
704 
705 

LeLK,  acid  phosphate 

LeLK,  rock  phosphate 

LeLK 

20.8 
22.0 
17.3 

706 

LeLK,  slag  phosphate 

23.0 

Oats2 

Corn 

Wheat 

Corn 

801 
802 

LeLK,  bone  phosphate 

LeLK 

6.6 
6.9 
7.8 
7.5 
10.6 
7.5 

35.6 
33.2 
35.0 
28.8 
29.2 
29.0 

17.2 
18.8 
17.2 
18.3 
15.8 
21.7 

39.8 
42.8 

803 
804 
805 

LeLK,  acid  phosphate 

LeLK,  rock  phosphate 

LeLK 

41.0 
42.2 
44.2 

806 

LeLK,  slag  phosphate 

44.0 

1  Series  500  and  600  have  received  1  ton  of  limestone  per  acre ;    Series  700  and  800  have 
received  8  tons  per  acre. 

2  No  legume  treatment. 

application  is  to  be  deferred  until  a  need  for  it  appears.  No  limestone  was 
applied  to  Series  700  and  800,  which  had  been  limed  originally.  No  phosphates 
have  been  applied  since  1919  and  no  further  applications  will  be  made  for  an 
indefinite  period.  For  the  time  being,  a  crop  rotation  of  corn  and  wheat  with 
sweet  clover  seeding  will  be  practiced  on  Series  500  and  600  and  repeated  on 
Series  700  and  800.  The  results  for  the  four  years  during  which  this  work  has 
been  running  are  given  as  a  matter  of  record  in  Table  12,  but  because  of  the  small 
number  of  crops  that  can  be  included,  no  attempt  is  made  at  this  time  to  sum- 
marize these  results  or  to  discuss  them. 


Experiments  with  Sweet  Clover  in  Rotations 
In  addition  to  the  above  described  series,  seven  plots  on  the  Odin  field  have 
been  devoted  to  two  special  rotations  featuring  sweet  clover.  On  three  plots  a 
rotation  of  corn,  cowpeas  or  soybeans,  and»wheat  has  been  practiced.  Sweet 
clover  has  been  seeded  in  both  the  corn  and  the  wheat  and  plowed  down  as  a 
green  manure  for  the  succeeding  crop.  On  the  other  four  plots  the  rotation  has 
been  corn,  cowpeas  or  soybeans,  wheat,  and  sweet  clover.  In  this  system  the  sweet 
clover  has  been  allowed  to  make  its  second  year's  growth  and  produce  a  seed 


19£6] 


Marion  County 

Table  13.— ODIN  FIELD:    Sweet-Clover  Rotations 
Annual  Crop  Yields  1906-1925 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


55 


Three-year  rotation 

Four-year  rotation 

Year 

Corn 

Soy- 
beans 

Wheat 

Corn 

Soy- 
beans 

Wheat 

Sweet 
clover 

1906 

38.3 
46.8 
48.0 
24.4 
32.7 
25.3 
54.4 
7.3 
7.3 
42.0 
18.4 
14.0 
5.5 
.7 
54.7 
20.7 
19.7 
49.3 
47.3 
34.6 

(1.90)1 
(1.27)1 

9.6 
.7 

3.9 

8.0 
11.1 

(2) 
2.2 
1.7 

.6 
5.0 
3.3 

(5) 
19.4 

8.3 

7.2 
12.5 
(   -83) 
(1.25) 

28.3 
24.0 
30.7 
23.3 
39. 43 
12.8 

(2) 
22.7 
12.8 
27.8 

2.2 
10.0 
24.4 
32.8 

(2) 
26.1 
17.2 
16.1 
11.1 

3.3 

24.0 
51.5 
58.3 
39.2 
41.3 
59.5 
68.4 
10.3 
2.0 
59.7 
19.8 
19.7 
2.6 
7.7 
66.7 
24.0 
22.3 
41.7 
61.7 
29.7 

(1.60)1 
(1.39)' 

8.8 

1.5 

5.0 

7.1 
18.6 

3.9 

4.4 

1.7 

8.0 

11.1 

.8 

(5) 
21.1 
11.1 
6.4 
23.9 
13.9 
(2.67) 

32.7 

30.0 

27.7 

25.5 

70. 33 

17.2 

(2) 
40.8 
23.3 
24 .7 

2.2 
39.2 
23.0 
26.7 

(2) 
28.1 
35.3 
12.2 
11.7 
22.2 

(4) 

1907 

(4) 

1908 

(4) 

1909 

(4) 

1910 

6.90 

1911 

3.60 

1912 

(4) 

1913 

(4) 

1914 

(6) 

1915 

.83 

1916 

2.78 

1917 

1.25 

1918 

(2) 

1919 

(2) 

1920 

1.94 

1921 

6.11 

1922 

3.42 

1923 

.36 

1924 

.83 

1925 

2.67 

'Cowpeas.     2Not  harvested.      3Oats;  wheat  destroyed  by  grasshoppers.     4No  record  of  yields; 
sweet  clover  plowed  under.     5Crop  destroyed  by  grasshoppers.     6Crop  destroyed  by  fire. 

crop,  the  straw  and  chaff  being  returned  to  the  land.  Limestone  and  bone  meal 
have  been  used  in  both  these  rotations,  and  the  crop  residues  have  been  returned 
to  the  land. 

The  annual  crop  yields  of  the  two  systems  are  recorded  in  Table  13,  and  a 
general  summary  of  each  is  presented  for  comparison  in  Table  14. 

The  markerly  higher  production  in  all  crops  in  the  four-year  rotation  indi- 
cates the  advantage  of  this  system,  in  which  one  field  out  of  four  is  devoted  to 
the  production  of  sweet  clover,  over  the  three-year  system  in  which  only  catch 
crops  of  sweet  clover  are  grown. 


Table  14. — ODIN  FIELD:     Use  of  Sweet  Clover  in  Rotations 
Average  Annual  Crop  Yields  1906-1925 — Bushels  per  acre 


Rotation 

Corn 

20  crops 

Soybeans1 
16  crops 

Wheat 
19  crops 

Clover  seed 
11  crops 

Three-year 

31.7 
35.3 

7.1 
10.9 

17.1 
22.2 

Four-year 

2.79 

'Or  cowpeas. 


THE  TOLEDO  FIELD 


The  Toledo  experiment  field  Is  located  on  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight"  Clay 
immediately  south  of  Toledo  in  Cumberland  county.  It  was  established  in  1913. 
This  field  of  17  acres  is  laid  out  into  two  separate  systems  of  plots,  one  including 
four  series  of  10  plots  each,  and  the  other  containing  four  series  of  4  plots  each. 


56 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


Table  15.— TOLEDO  FIELD:    Summary  of  Crop  Yields 
Average  Annual  Yields  1914-1925 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Serial 
plot 

No. 


Soil  treatment 


1 

0 

2 

M 

3 

ML 

4 

MLrP 

5 

0 

6 

R 

7 

RL 

8 

RLrP 

9 

RLrPK 

10 

0 

Wheat 
8  crops 


8.5 
10.2 
21.8 
24.4 

8.1 

9.5 

21.0 

24.3 

26.8 
5.3 


Corn 
12  crops 


22.2 
28.6 
39.1 
39.1 

18.3 
19.8 
29.6 
30.8 

41.0 
15.7 


Oats 
11  crops 


16.5 
19.0 
31.4 
33.6 

15.6 
17.1 
32.6 
35.2 

38.4 
16.9 


Clover1 
4  crops 


(  -06) 

(  .18) 

(  -89) 

(  -97) 

(  -05) 
(  -24) 
(1.19) 
(1.16) 

(1.14) 

(  -17) 


Sweet 
clover 
8  crops 


.11 

.24 
2.45 
2.42 

.26 

.53 

1.84 

1.77 

2.48 
.23 


Soy- 
beans 
8  crops 


(  -70) 
(  -72) 
(1.27) 
(1.21) 


3.8 

4.7 

9.4 

10.5 

11.8 
(   -53) 


'Some  seed  evaluated  as  hay. 

Series  100,  200,  300,  400 

The  system  of  plots  made  up  of  Series  100,  200,  300,  and  400  is  under  a  crop 
rotation  of  wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  clover.  Cowpeas  were  seeded  in  the  corn  at 
the  last  cultivation  until  1921,  when  this  practice  was  abandoned.  In  1922  sweet 
clover  was  introduced  as  the  regular  clover  crop.  At  that  time,  after  the  plots 
had  received  a  total  of  6y2  to  8  tons  of  limestone  an  acre  on  the  different  series, 
application  of  this  material  was  suspended  until  further  need  for  it  becomes 
apparent.  In  1923  the  return  of  the  wheat  straw  on  the  residues  plots  was  dis- 
continued. 

Table  15  presents  a  summary  of  the  crop  yields  including  the  years  in  which 
the  complete  plot  treatments  have  been  in  effect.  The  results  confirm  those  of 
other  fields  located  on  similar  soil  and,  briefly  stated,  they  show : 

1.  Low  yields  on  untreated  land. 

2.  Only  a  slight  response  to  organic  manures  without  limestone. 

3.  A  very  decided  response  to  the  use  of  limestone  in  connection  with  or- 
ganic manures. 

4.  A  limited  response  to  rock  phosphate  applied  with  organic  manures  and 
limestone  but  not  sufficient  to  cover  the  cost  of  material. 

5.  A  rather  general  response  to  potassium  fertilizer  becoming  very  marked 
in  the  case  of  the  corn. 


Series  500,  600,  700,  800 

The  second  set  of  plots  on  the  Toledo  field,  comprizing  Series  500,  600,  700, 
and  800,  has  been  devoted  mainly  to  an  investigation  in  soil  tillage,  the  purpose 
being  to  compare  the  effects  of  subsoiling,  deep  tilling,  and  dynamiting  with  that 
of  ordinary  plowing.  A  crop  rotation  of  corn,  soybeans,  wheat,  and  sweet  clover 
was  adopted,  second-year  sweet-clover  stubble  being  plowed  late  in  the  fall  for 
corn.  An  application  of  4  tons  of  limestone  an  acre  was  made  oil  all  plots  in  1913  ; 
3  tons  were  applied  for  the  1917  crop,  and  2  tons  for  the  1921  crop.  One  ton  of 
rock  phosphate  was  applied  in  the  fall  of  1914,  and  again  in  the  fall  of  1918. 


1926] 


Marion  County 

Table  16.— TOLEDO  FIELD:     Tillage  Experiments 
Average  Annual  Yields  1913-1922 — Bushels  per  acre 


57 


Tillage  treatment 

Corn 
9  crops 

Soybeans 
7  crops 

Wheat 
6  crops 

Sweet-clover 
seed 

6  crops 

Plowed  7  inches  deep 

40.2 
41.9 
37.4 
40.3 

16.3 
16.2 
15.2 
16.4 

13.5 
12.9 
10.8 
11.7 

3.68 

Subsoiled  14  inches  deep 

3.65 

Deep-tilled  14  inches 

3.18 

Dynamited 

4.25 

A  summary  of  the  crop  yields  is  given  in  Table  16.  For  a  detailed  account 
of  these  experiments  the  reader  is  referred  to  Bulletin  258  of  this  Station,  ' '  Ex- 
periments with  Subsoiling,  Deep  Tilling,  and  Dynamiting." 

The  conclusions  reached  from  the  results  of  these  experiments  is  that  none 
of  the  special  tillage  treatments  had  any  beneficial  effect  on  crop  yields.  Deep 
tilling  apparently  decreased  yields,  probably  because  of  the  mixing  of  sub- 
surface and  subsoil  with  the  surface  soil. 

THE  NEWTON  FIELD 

A  30-acre  experiment  field  has  been  maintained  by  the  University  at  Newton 
in  Jasper  county  since  1912.  The  soil  type  has  been  mapped  as  Gray  Silt  Loam 
On  Tight  Clay  but  the  field  is  not  altogether  uniform,  as  is  shown  by  variations 
in  the  crop  yields.  The  land  is  almost  level.  Drainage  has  been  provided  by 
a  system  of  tile.  Owing  to  the  impervious  nature  of  the  subsoil,  however,  the 
tile  did  not  materially  improve  the  drainage  until  the  scheme  was  devised  of  using 
the  tiles  as  sewers  to  carry  away  the  surplus  water  conducted  to  them  thru  a 
system  of  ditches  and  catch  basins. 

The  field  is  laid  off  into  12  series  of  plots  and  these  series  make  up  four 
separate  combinations  or  plot  systems,  only  two  of  which  will  be  considered  here. 


Table  17.— NEWTON  FIELD:     Series  100,  200,  300,  Summary  of  Crop  Yields 
Average  Annual  Yields  1913-1925 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Serial 
plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment 

Wheat 
10  crops 

Corn 
13  crops 

Soybeans1 
12  crops 

1 
2 
3 

4 

0 

M 

ML 

MLrP 

.5 

.8 

8.8 

14.5 

1.4 

1.0 

7.6 

13.6 

16.7 
.2 

10.7 
15.6 
24.7 
25.9 

11.3 
11.9 
18.0 
18.6 

23.1 
7.3 

5.6 

7.8 

11.7 

12.7 

5 

0 

5.4 

6 

R 

4.7 

7 

RL 

8.-1 

8 
9 

RLrP 

RLrPK 

9.2 

10.0 

10 

0 

5.2 

'Some  hay  evaluated  as  seed. 


58  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement  [November, 

Series  100,  200,  300 

A  rotation  of  corn,  soybeans,  *and  wheat  has  been  practiced  on  Series  10Q, 
200,  and  300.  Cowpeas  have  been  seeded  in  the  corn  and  sweet  clover  in  the 
wheat  as  catch  crops  to  help  supply  the  organic  matter  and  nitrogen  on  the  resi- 
dues plots.  In  1920  the  use  of  the  cowpea  catch  crop  was  discontinued,  as  was 
also  the  return  of  wheat  straw  in  1922. 

The  limestone  used  on  these  series  has  been  of  the  dolomitic  form  ground 
sufficiently  fine  to  pass  a  10-mesh  sieve.  The  usual  large  initial  amount  of  lime- 
stone was  not  applied  here.  Up  to  1922  the  different  series  had  received  5  to  6 
tons  an  acre,  when  the  regular  applications  were  suspended  until  further  need 
for  lime  becomes  apparent. 

Table  17  gives  a  summary  of  the  crop  yields  obtained,  including  the  years 
that  the  respective,  complete  soil  treatments  have  been  in  effect. 

The  results  of  these  experiments  are  characteristic  of  those  of  other  fields 
located  on  this  soil  type.  They  demonstrate  once  more  the  absolute  necessity  of 
liming  as  the  foundation  for  soil  improvement.  Without  lime,  legumes  fail  Com- 
pletely and  the  use  of  manure  alone  is  practically  ineffective.  Phosphorus  in 
combination  with  lime  and  organic  manure  has,  as  usual,  materially  benefited  the 
wheat  but,  in  the  manner  used,  the  rock  phosphate  has  not  paid  for  itself.  Some 
increase  in  yield  of  both  wheat  and  corn  has  followed  the  use  of  potassium 
fertilizer,  but  the  money  value  of  this  increase  is  not  sufficient  to  cover  the  cost. 

A  profitable  system  of  farming  on  this  field  must  lie  in  other  plans  of  crop- 
ping than  that  employed  in  these  experiments,  for  even  under  the  best  treatment 
the  plane  of  production  is  too  low  to  represent  a  successful  farming  enterprise. 

Special  Limestone  Experiments 

After  demonstrating  the  great  value  of  limestone  for  soil  improvement,  espe- 
cially in  southern  Illinois,  a  number  of  very  practical  questions  immediately  arose 
concerning  details  of  its  application  as,  for  example :  What  is  the  most  favorable 
amount  to  apply  from  various  standpoints  of  economy  ?  What  degree  of  fineness 
of  material  is  most  suitable  ?  Is  magnesian  or  dolomitic  limestone  as  effective  as 
high-calcium  stone?  Is  there  any  advantage  in  the  use  of  burnt  material  over 
that  of  the  raw  crushed  stone?  To  answer  these  questions  a  series  of  tests  was 
started  on  Series  500  to  1000.  The  comparisons  were  arranged  in  the  following 
manner. 

The  odd-numbered  series  (500,  700,  900)  have  received  applications  of  high- 
calcium  material,  either  crushed  stone  or  burned,  and  the  even-numbered  series 
(600,  800,  1000)  have  received  corresponding  amounts  of  dolomitic  material.  On 
all  series,  Plots  2  to  6  have  received  limestone  at  the  rate  of  500  pounds  an  acre 
a  year ;  Plots  8  to  12  have  received  1,000  pounds ;  and  Plots  13  to  18  have  received 
2,000  pounds.  All  applications  were  based  upon  the  equivalent  of  pure  calcium 
carbonate. 

In  addition  to  the  lime  on  these  plots,  all  have  received  rock  phosphate  and 
kainit  in  amounts  and  manner  previously  described.  A  crop  rotation  of  corn, 
soybeans,  and  wheat  was  practiced  until  1920,  when  it  was  changed  to  corn,  wheat, 
and  sweet  clover.     Since  that  time  the  wheat  straw  and  sweet-clover  chaff  have 


1926] 


Marion  County 

Table  18.— NEWTON  FIELD:     Special  Limestone  Test 
Summary  of  Crop  Yields  1913-1925 — Bushels  per  acre 


59 


Serial 
plot 
No. 

Fineness  of 
grinding 
(meshes 
per  inch) 

Wheat 
13  crops 

Corn 
13  crops 

Soybeans 
5  crops 

Sweet  clover 
6  crops 

High 
calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 
calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 
calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 
calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

1 

No  lime. . .  . 

7.5 

9.0 

11.3 

10.8 

3.4 

3.8 

0.00 

0.00 

Applications  of  500  pounds  per  acre  per  year  to  total  of  3  tons  per  acre 


2 

4  down .... 

15.0 

12.7 

17.9 

18.2 

5.3 

5.5 

2.21 

1.77 

3 

4  to  10 

12.6 

13.8 

16.3 

22.7 

5.1 

5.6 

2.30 

2.09 

4 

10  down. . . . 

13.8 

13.2 

17.7 

15.6 

5.1 

5.3 

1.98 

2.27 

5 

50  down  .  .  . 

13.6 

12.0 

15.9 

13.0 

4.5 

4.6 

2.13 

1.91 

6 

Burnt  lime1 

13.9 

12.9 

12.6 

13.7 

5.0 

5.1 

2.36 

2.09 

7 

No  lime. . .  . 

8.2 

8.4 

8.9 

11.2 

3.3 

3.6 

0.00 

.10 

Applications  of  1,000  pounds  per  acre  per  year  to  total  of  6  tons  per  acre 


8 

4  down .... 

13.0 

12.2 

14.4 

16.1 

5.2 

5.2 

2.37 

2.29 

9 

4  to  10 

11.9 

11.1 

14.1 

15.1 

5.0 

4.9 

2.42 

2.23 

10 

10  down.  .  . 

13.1 

12.2 

13.8 

13.1 

5.1 

5.3 

2.12 

1.88 

11 

50  down .  .  . 

13.9 

12.5 

14.4 

12.2    . 

4.8 

4.9 

2.45 

2.07 

12 

Burnt  lime1 

13.7 

13.4 

14.1 

12.2 

5.3 

4.4 

2.87 

2.40 

13 

No  lime. . .  . 

7.9 

7.4 

9.8 

10.0 

3.7 

3.4 

.37 

.11 

Applications  of  2,000  pounds  per  acre  per  year  to  total  of  12  tons  per  acre 


14 

4  down .... 

14.4 

14.2 

17.9 

15.3 

6.1 

5.7 

3.37 

2.55 

15 

4  to  10  .... 

12.8 

13.9 

17.6 

18.2 

5.4 

5.1 

3.29 

2.10 

16 

10  down.  .  . 

16.2 

15.6 

17.5 

18.0 

5.4 

5.9 

3.31 

2.27 

17 

50  down .  .  . 

17.6 

17.4 

17.0 

16.8 

6.7 

6.1 

3.00 

2.51 

18 

Burnt  lime1 

17.8 

18  2 

18.9 

19.8 

6.4 

6.6 

3.19 

2.99 

19 

No  lime. . .  . 

8.3 

8.8 

12.9 

14.1 

3.0 

3.4 

.20 

.16 

■Purchased  as  burnt  lime,  but  applied  after  hydrating  or  slaking. 


been  returned  to  the  land ;  the  cornstalks  have  been  removed.  In  1922  limestone 
was  evened  up  to  a  uniform  total  amount  of  3  tons  an  acre  on  the  plots  receiving 
light  applications,  to  6  tons  an  acre  on  plots  receiving  medium  applications,  and 
to  12  tons  on  plots  receiving  heavy  applications.  No  more  lime  will  be  applied 
until  an  apparent  need  for  it  develops. 

A  summary  of  the  crop  yields  including  the  years  since  the  complete  plot 
treatments  have  been  under  way  is  shown  in  Table  18.  In  order  to  study  the  rela- 
tive economy  of  the  various  amounts  and  kinds  of  lime  applied,  the  value  of  the 
respective  crop  yields  have  been  calculated  and  these  are  shown  in  Table  19,  along 
with  the  value  of  the  corresponding  increases  due  to  treatment.  Using  these  fig- 
ures as  a  basis,  the  value  of  a  ton  of  limestone  has  also  been  calculated,  and  finally 
the  returns  per  dollar  invested  in  the  different  forms  and  amounts  of  lime  are 
included  in  this  table. 

In  considering  the  results  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  subsoil  on  this  field  is 
not  altogether  uniform  with  respect  to  acidity.  Spots  have  been  found  in  which 
carbonates  exist.  Therefore  definite  conclusions  are  probably  warranted  only  on 
the  more  outstanding  differences.  Without  going  into  a  fine  analysis  of  the  data, 
the  following  facts  appear  from  scanning  the  figures  of  these  tables : 


60 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


Amount  of  Lime. — Considered  from  the  standpoint  of  total  production,  the 
heavy  applications  produced  the  greatest  yield,  altho  the  light  applications  pro- 
duced somewhat  higher  yields  than  the  medium.  If,  however,  the  profitableness 
of  the  practice  be  considered  from  the  standpoint  of  value  per  ton  of  material 
applied,  the  law  of  diminishing  returns  becomes  operative,  making  the  value 
per  ton  two  or  three  times  as  much  in  the  light  application  as  that  in  the  heavy 
application.  The  effect  is  magnified  in  the  returns  per  dollar  invested.  The 
figures  show  about  $12  to  $17  return  for  the  light  applications  as  compared  with 
about  $4  return  per  dollar  invested  in  the  heavy  applications.  Presumably  the 
residual  effect  will  be  greater  with  the  heavy  application  which,  in  the  course  of 
time,  will  compensate  to  some  extent  for  the  smaller  profit  thus  far  obtained. 

Fineness  of  Material. — Aside  from  a  possible  slight  tendency  in  the  heavy 
application  toward  higher  production  from  finer  grinding,  there  seem  to  be  no 
very  well-defined  differences  with  respect  to  fineness  of  grinding.  The  practical 
conclusion  therefore  is  that  there  is  little  or  no  advantage  to  be  gained  in 
reducing  the  stone  completely  to  a  powder. 

High-Calcium  Compared  with  Dolomitic  Material. — The  figures  showing 
value  of  annual  increase  indicate  a  certain  tendency  in  favor  of  the  high-calcium 
over  the  dolomitic  material.  Some  of  the  differences,  however,  are  rather  small 
and  there  are  among  the  fifteen  possible  comparisons  three  exceptions.     Altho 


Table  19. — NEWTON  FIELD:     Special  Limestone  Test,  Financial  Comj-arisons1 


Serial 
plot 
No. 

Fineness  of 
grinding 
(meshes 
per  inch) 

Average  annual 
acre  value  of  crops 

Value  of  annual 
increase  for  lime 

Value  of  one 
ton  of  limestone2 

Returns  per 
dollar  invested 

High 

calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 

calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 

calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

High 
calcium 

Dolo- 
mitic 

1 

No  lime. . .  . 

$7.86 

S8.64 

Applications  of  limestone: 


2 

4  down .... 

$16.91 

$15.02 

$9.13 

$6.51 

$39.52 

$28.18 

$19.76 

$14.09 

3 

4  to  10 

15.29 

17.20 

7.51 

8.69 

32.51 

37.62 

16.26 

18.81 

4 

10  down.  .  . 

15.97 

15.24 

8.19 

6.73 

35.45 

29.13 

17.73 

14.57 

5 

50  down .  .  . 

15.43 

13.30 

7.65 

4.79 

33.12 

20.74 

16.56 

10.37 

6 

Burnt  lime. 

15.11 

14.37 

7.33 

5.86 

31.73 

25.37 

4.00 

3.24 

7 

No  lime. . .  . 

$7.70 

$8.38 

Applications  of  limestone:     1,000  pounds  per  acre  per  year  to  a  total  of  6  tons 


8 

4  down .... 

$15.25 

$14.92 

$6.72 

$6.97 

$14.55 

$15.09 

$7.68 

$7.55 

9 

4  to  10 

14.56 

13.92 

6.03 

5.97 

13.05 

12.90 

6.53 

6.45 

10 

10  down .  .  . 

14.77 

13.56 

6.24 

5.61 

13.51 

12.14 

6.76 

6.07 

11 

50  down .  .  . 

15.61 

13.64 

7.08 

5.69 

15.32 

12.32 

7.66 

6.61 

12 

Burnt  lime . 

16.02 

14.44 

7.49 

6.49 

16.21 

14.05 

2.07 

1.79 

13 

No  lime. . .  . 

$9.36 

$7.51 

Applications  of  limestone:     2,000  pounds  per  acre  per  year  to  a  total  of  12  tons 


14 

4  down .... 

$18.27 

$16.17 

$9.27 

$7.71 

$10.04 

$8.35 

$5.02 

$4.18 

15 

4  to  10 

17.15 

16.07 

8.15 

7.61 

8.83 

8.24 

4.42 

4.12 

16 

10  down .  .  . 

18.81 

17.32 

9.81 

8.86 

10.63 

9.60 

5.32 

4.80 

17 

50  down .  .  . 

19.23 

18.21 

10.23 

9.75 

11.08 

10.56 

5.54 

5.28 

18 

Burnt  lime . 

19.54 

20.16 

10.54 

11.70 

11.42 

12.68 

1.42 

1.48 

19 

No  lime. . .  . 

$8.63 

$9.40 

'Based  upon  the  following  prices:  wheat,  $1.50  per  bushel;  corn,  75  cents;  soybeans,  $1.50; 
sweet  clover,  $7.50;  crushed  limestone,  $2  a  ton;  burnt  lime,  $14  a  ton. 
2Or  its  equivalent  in  burnt  lime. 


1926] 


Marion  County 


61 


this  trend  is  of  interest,  the  experiments  are  not  sufficiently  extended  to  warrant 
without  further  evidence  a  discrimination  between  the  two  kinds  of  stone.  In 
the  purchase  of  limestone  there  is  another  consideration  to  bear  in  mind,  and 
that  is  the  possible  need  of  the  soil  for  magnesium,  which  element  is  furnished 
in  dolomitic  stone.  For  further  discussion  of  this  phase  of  the  problem,  see 
Appendix,  page  32. 

Burnt  Lime  Compared  with  Ground  Limestone. — It  may  be  explained  that 
the  term  "burnt  limestone"  is  used  here  to  comply  with  the  previous  records. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  material  was  purchased  as  burnt  lime  but  it  was  hy- 
drated  or  slaked  before  being  applied  to  the  soil. 

In  the  light  application  the  burnt  material  appears  to  be  slightly  less  effective 
than  the  average  of  the  crushed  grades,  both  in  the  high-calcium  and  in  the 
dolomitic  products.    In  the  medium  and  heavy  applications,  however,  the  reverse 


WITH   LIMESTONE 

WITHOUT  LIMESTONE 

HHH*>  -* 

Fig.  5. — Without  Limestone  Sweet  Clover  Refuses  to  Grow 
At  the  right  where  no  clover  is  seen,  no  limestone  has  been  applied. 


is  true,  altho  in  no  case  is  the  difference  great.  In  the  value  of  a  ton  of  limestone 
the  figures  follow  the  same  order. 

The  most  striking  comparison  is  found  in  the  returns  per  dollar  invested, 
owing  of  course  to  the  high  cost  of  the  burnt  material.  In  these  estimates  the  local 
dealers'  present  market  price  of  $14  a  ton  in  carload  lots  is  allowed  with  no 
consideration  of  the  extra  trouble  in  preparing  it  for  application  by  slaking.  In 
the  light  application  the  returns  on  a  dollar  invested  for  high-calcium  burnt 
lime  is  $4,  while  for  the  corresponding  crushed  stone  it  is  $17.58.  In  the  heavy 
applications  the  corresponding  figures  are  $1.42  and  $5.08  respectively.  The 
figures  for  the  dolomitic  material  are  in  about  the  same  order. 

From  these  results  it  appears  that  the  answer  to  the  question  whether  to 
use  burnt  lime  or  ground  limestone  will  depend,  not  upon  the  relative  effectiveness 
of  the  two  in  the  soil,  but  rather  upon  the  economy  of  their  application.  Only 
under  exceptional  circumstance  would  burnt  lime  compete  with  ground  limestone. 
Such  a  situation  might  be  one  in  which  crushed  limestone  is  not  readily  accessible 


62  Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement  [November, 

and  burnt  lime  could  be  produced  very  cheaply ;  or  for  gardening,  where  only 
small  quantities  are  required,  burnt  lime  may  be  procured  wherever  building  sup- 
plies are.  sold. 

THE  DUBOIS  FIELD 

Another  experiment  field  on  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay  is  located  at 
DuBois  in  Washington  county.  This  land  lies  practically  level  and  appears  to 
be  uniform  in  soil  type.  The  experiments  were  started  in  1902.  The  field  was 
laid  off  into  a  single  series  of  plots  having  two  sections,  one  tiled  and  the  other 
untiled. 

The  rotation  practiced  the  first  eight  years  was  corn,  oats,  and  wheat  followed 
by  a  legume.  After  two  of  these  rotations  the  order  was  changed  to  corn,  oats, 
clover,  wheat,  with  a  seeding  of  sweet  clover  and  alsike  on  the  residues  plots  for 
use  as  a  green  manure.  Since  there  appeared  to  be  little  difference  between  the 
tiled  and  untiled  sections,  another  change  in  cropping  was  made  in  1922  by  which 
corn  is  grown  on  one  section  and  wheat  with  a  seeding  of  sweet  clover  on  the 
other. 

Five  tons  of  hydrated  lime  an  acre  was  applied  in  1902,  and  no  further 
application  of  lime  was  made  until  1922,  when  2  tons  of  limestone  an  acre  was 
applied  on  the  east  section  and  1,000  pounds  an  acre  on  the  west  section. 

Until  1905  nitrogen  was  applied  annually  in  approximately  650  pounds  of 
dried  blood  an  acre  on  what  are  now  the  residues  plots ;  thereafter  crop  residues 
were  substituted.  Phosphorus  was  supplied  in  form  of  steamed  bone  meal  ap- 
plied at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  an  acre  a  year,  and  potassium  in  100  pounds  of 
potassium  sulfate  an  acre  a  year.  In  1922  the  applications  of  both  phosphorus 
and  potassium  were  discontinued  temporarily. 

A  general  summary  of  the  annual  crop  yields  is  assembled  in  Table  20,  and 
for  convenience  in  studying  the  effect  of  the  treatments  the  various  possible  com- 
parisons are  brought  together  in  Table  21,  where  the  results  of  the  corresponding 
plots  of  the  two  sections  are  averaged  and  expressed  in  terms  of  crop  increases. 
Some  points  of  interests  brought  out  by  these  comparisons  are  the  following : 

Altho  lime,  as  used  in  these  experiments,  has  produced  some  increase  in  all 
crops,  when  applied  alone  it  does  not  raise  the  plane  of  production  sufficiently  to 
give  a  profitable  system  of  farming.  In  the  presence  of  other  fertilizing  materials, 
however,  its  effectiveness  is  greatly  enhanced. 

The  response  to  residues  in  the  various  combinations  is  rather  complex.  In 
some  cases  the  increases  to  be  ascribed  to  residues  are  marked.  In  the  treat- 
ment with  lime,  phosphorus,  and  potassium,  the  effect  of  residues  on  the  grain 
crops  is  quite  indifferent,  while  on  the  hay  crop  it  is  very  pronounced.  In  con- 
sidering these  residues  results  it  should  be  noted  that  they  include  the  data  of 
the  earlier  years,  when  dried  blood  was  used  instead  of  residues  to  furnish 
nitrogen. 

Phosphorus  has  given  increases  in  all  combinations  in  all  crops,  but  the 
most  significant  effect  produced  has  been  on  the  wheat.  Potassium  has  produced 
a  remarkable  effect  on  the  corn;  in  some  cases  the  yields  have  been  practically 
doubled  following  the  potassium  treatment. 


19 £6} 


Marion  Count* 


63 


Table  20.— DUBOIS  FIELD:     Summary  of  Crop  Yields 
Average  Annual  Yields  1902-1923— Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Plot 

Soil  treatment 
applied2 

Wheat 
6  crops 

Corn 
6  crops 

Oats 
5  crops 

Clover 

Soybeans 

No.1 

Hay 
4  crops 

Seed 
2  crops 

/  crop 

1 

0 

5.4 
9.7 

13.6 
20.7 
16.7 

26.5 
19.7 
28.0 

27.0 
18.9 

10.8 
13.0 

17.6 
17.1 
25.9 

17.5 
25.2 
29.1 

28.8 
22.1 

14.0 
23.0 

30.8 
35.2 
30.8 

33.8 
32.9 
37.6 

34.8 
26.5 

(   -58) 
(   -61) 

(   .89)3 
(1.04) 
(   -89) 

(1.17)3 
(1.74)3 
(1.67) 

(2.22)3 
(2.00)3 

.80 

1.88 
2.38 

2.09 
2.09 

3.5 

2 

L.  .  . 

6.7 

3 

LR 

7.2 

4 

LP.  .  . 

8.5 

5 

LK 

9.3 

6 

LRP 

8.2 

7 

LRK 

7.8 

8 

LPK.  . 

9.5 

9 

LRPK 

7.8 

10 

RPK 

6.3 

11 

0 

6.3 
13.6 

16.2 
22.2 
16.1 

27.0 
23.3 
30.0 

28.0 
18.8 

11.7 

13.8 

16.4 
13.3 
25.2 

18.3 
29.7 
32.4 

30.8 
21.8 

14.3 
22.5 

28.0 
32.4 
33.8 

38.1 
32.4 
34.8 

33.1 

30.2 

(   .54) 
(   -77) 

(1.33)3 

(1.14) 

(1.23) 

(2.11)3 
(2.19)3 
(1.88) 

(2.67)3 
(2.41)3 

1.33 

2.42 
2.04 

2.08 
2.25 

3.3 

12 

L 

6.2 

13 

LR 

6.7 

14 

LP 

7.2 

15 

LK 

7.8 

16 

LRP 

8.8 

17 

LRK 

10.2 

18 

LPK 

10.3 

19 

LRPK 

11.3 

20 

RPK 

6.7 

'Plots  1  to  10  not  tiled.     Plots  11  to  20  tiled. 

'Until  1905  dried  blood  was  applied  instead  of  residues. 

3Only  two  crops  of  hay  on  Plots  3,  5,  7,  9,  10,  13,  16,  17,  19,  and  20. 


Table  21. — DUBOIS  FIELD:  Effect  of  Treatments  in  Terms  of  Annual  Crop  Increases 

Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Comparison  of 
treatments 

Wheat 
6  crops 

Corn 
6  crops 

Oats 
5  crops 

Clover  hay1 
2  or  4  crops 

Soybeans 
1  crop 

Lime 

L  over  0 

5.8 

8.7 

3.3 

5.3 

5.1 

-1.5 

9.8 
11.9 
12.6 

6.0 

4.8 
6.6 

7.6 
.8 

2.2 

7.9 

3.6 

2.7 

1.9 

-1.0 

1.8 

.9 

5.2 

2.4 

12.2 
10.5 
15.6 
11.9 

8.6 
5.6 

6.7 

2.2 

.4 

-2.3 

11.1 
6.6 
3.9 
1.3 

9.6 

3.3 

2.4 
-2.0 

(.13) 
(.24) 

(.42) 
(.55) 

(.91) 
(.67) 

(.40) 
(.53) 
(.72) 
(.48) 

(.37) 
(.86) 
(.69) 
(.81) 

3.1 

LRPK  over  RPK ... 

Residues 

LR  over  L 

3.1 
.5 

LRP  over  LP 

LRK  over  LK 

LRPK  over  LPK ... 

Phosphorus 

LP  over  L 

.7 

.5 

-.4 

1.4 

LRP  over  LR 

LPK  over  LK 

LRPK  over  LRK .... 

Potassium 

LK  over  L 

1.6 

1.4 

.6 

2.1 

LRK  over  LR 

LPK  over  LP 

LRPK  over  LRP 

2.1 
2.1 
1.1 

Emitting  any  consideration  of  clover  seed  produced  on  certain  plots. 


64 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


These  results  in  general  confirm  those  of  the  other  fields  located  on  the  same 
soil  type,  in  that  wheat  responds  in  a  notable  way  to  phosphorus  treatment  while 
corn  receives  its  greatest  benefit  from  potassium  treatment.  A  rational  system 
of  general  farming  designed  to  bring  this  land  into  the  highest  production  of 
which  it  is  capable  calls  for  the  application  of  both  these  elements  of  plant  food 
to  be  used  in  conjunction  with  limestone  and  organic  manures. 

The  marked  benefit  to  wheat  and  the  indifferent  response  of  all  other  crops 
following  the  use  of  bone  meal  suggest  that  in  practice  perhaps  phosphorus  could 
be  supplied  more  economically  by  using  somewhat  smaller  quantities  of  phos- 
phatic  fertilizer  and  applying  it  directly  to  the  wheat  crop.  Likewise,  it  seems 
probable,  judging  from  the  relative  crop  responses  to  potassium  treatment,  that 
the  expense  of  potassium  fertilizer  might  be  reduced  by  cutting  down  the  quantity 
used  in  these  tests,  applying  the  material  direct  to  the  corn  crop.  The  organic 
manures  are  well  furnished  by  crop  residues  and  legumes  plowed  down  but,  under 
some  circumstances,  at  least  a  part  of  the  legumes  and  crop  residues  will  be 
utilized  advantageously  by  pasturing  or  feeding  them  to  livestock,  the  manure 
produced  therefrom  to  be  carefully  conserved  and  regularly  returned  to  the  land. 

THE  EWING  FIELD 

As  representing  the  soil  type  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay, 
experimental  results  from  a  portion  of  the  Ewing  field  are  presented. 

The  Ewing  field  is  located  in  Franklin  county  about  a  mile  northeast  of 
Ewing.  It  was  established  in  1910.  Altho  four  distinguishable  soil  types  have 
been  identified  on  this  field,  the  100  and  200  series  of  plots  lie  wholly  on  Gray 
Silt  Loam  On  Orange-Mottled  Tight  Clay.  This  land  is  nearly  level,  the  drainage 
is  very  poor,  and  the  soil  is  strongly  acid.  These  two  series,  together  with 
Series  300  and  400,  constitute  a  plot  system  farmed  under  a  crop  rotation  of 
wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  clover,  but  because  Series  300  and  400  lie  mainly  on  another 
soil  type,  results  from  these  plots  will  not  enter  into  the  present  consideration. 


H"\  V 


MANURE,  LIMESTONE, ROCK  PHOSPHATE 


NO  TREATMENT 


Fig.  6. — Corn  Growing  on  Neighboring  Plots  on  the  Ewing  Field  in  1924 

At  the  right  is  a  check  plot  which  has  produced,  as  an  average  of  eight  years,  only  15 
bushels  of  corn  an  acre;  while  at  the  left  the  plot  treated  with  manure,  limestone,  and  rock 
phosphate  has  produced  49  bushels  an  acre  as  an  average  for  this  same  period. 


19X6] 


Marion  County 


65 


The  handling  of  the  crops  and  the  soil  treatments  have  been  in  the  main 
according  to  the  somewhat  standard  plan  described  above.  Until  1920  eowpeas 
were  seeded  in  the  corn  as  a  catch  crop  on  the  residues  plot.  In  1921  sweet  clover 
was  substituted  as  the  regular  legume  in  the  rotation  in  addition  to  its  seeding 
in  the  wheat  for  use  as  a  green  manure  crop.  Seed  was  harvested  from  all  the 
regular  sweet-clover  plots  and  the  straw  returned  to  the  residues  plots.  In  1922 
the  limestone  applications  were  discontinued  after  they  had  reached  a  total  quan- 
tity of  Sy2  to  10  tons  an  acre  on  the  different  series.  No  more  limestone  will  be 
applied  until  the  need  for  it  appears.  The  return  of  the  wheat  straw  as  a  residue 
was  also  discontinued  at  that  time.  In  1923  the  rock  phosphate  was  evened  up 
on  all  phosphorus  plots  to  8,500  pounds  an  acre,  and  no  more  will  be  applied  for 
an  indefinite  period. 

Table  22.— EWING  FIELD:  Sehies  100  and  200,  Summary  of  Crop  Yields 
Average  Annual  Yields  1911-1925 — Bushels  or  (tons)  per  acre 


Serial 
plot 

No. 

Soil 
treatment 

Wheat 
6  crops 

Corn 
8  crops 

Oats 
8  crops 

Clover 
2  crops 

Soybeans 
3  crops 

Sweet 
clover 
2  crops 

1 

2 
3 
4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 

0 

M 

ML 

MLrP 

0 

R 

RL 

RLrP 

RLrPK 

0 

2.2 

4.1 

14.8 

20.0 

2.2 
1.7 

15.9 
19.0 

26.1 
3.3 

15.3 
30.6 
47.8 
49.0 

14.9 
15.2 
33.2 
31.7 

47.3 
20.1 

9.8 
15.4 
29.0 
31.0 

9.4 

9.9 
26.2 
27.2 

34.9 
10.9 

(   .26) 
(   .31) 
(   -91) 
(1.12) 

(   .19) 
(   -23) 
(   -87) 
(1.15) 

(1.06) 

(   .37) 

(   -36) 
(   -42) 
(   -89) 
(1.02) 

1.8 
1.8 
6.1 
7.2 

8.5 

(   .42) 

0.00 
0.00 
2.23 
2.25 

0.00 
0.00 
2.46 
2.07 

2.08 
0.00 

A  summary  of  the  results  is  presented  in  Table  22,  showing  the  average 
annual  crop  yields  obtained  for  the  years  the  plots  have  been  under  their  com- 
plete treatments.  The  extremely  poor  yields  on  the  untreated  land  testify  to  the 
natural  poverty  of  this  soil.  About  2.5  bushels  of  wheat  an  acre  has  been  the 
average  production  on  the  check  plots. 

The  use  of  manure  alone  increases  the  crop  yields  somewhat,  but  not  suffi- 
ciently to  put  this  kind  of  farming  on  a  profitable  basis.  Residues  alone  are  prac- 
tically without  effect. 

Limestone  produces  a  very  decided  increase  in  yields  used  either  with  manure 
or  with  residues,  the  large  increase  with  the  latter  being  due  mainly  to  the  suc- 
cessful growth  of  legumes  following  the  application  of  limestone. 

Rock  phosphate  has  produced  a  substantial  increase  in  the  yield  of  wheat, 
but  it  has  had  little  or  no  significant  effect  on  other  crops.  Used  in  the  quantity 
applied  in  these  experiments,  the  profits  on  the  wheat  would  scarcely  carry  the 
cost  of  material.  As  explained  above,  however,  the  phosphate  applications  have 
been  suspended  to  observe  the  residual  effect.  The  results  of  the  next  few  years 
should  furnish  new  light  on  the  economy  in  the  use  of  phosphate  on  this  soil. 


66 


Soil  Report  No.  34:    Supplement 


[November, 


Potassium  fertilizer,  as  used  in  these  experiments,  has  had  a  decidedly  bene- 
ficial effect  on  all  the  grain  crops. 

The  response  to  treatment  on  this  field  resembles  in  general  that  on  the  group 
of  fields  discussed  above.  The  suggestions,  therefore,  for  the  practical  improve- 
ment of  this  soil  type  correspond  to  those  for  Gray  Silt  Loam  On  Tight  Clay. 


Soil  Reports  Published 


1 

Clay,  1911 

2 

Moultrie,  1911 

3 

Hardin,  1912 

4 

Sangamon,  1912 

5 

LaSalle,  1913 

6 

Knox,  1913 

7 

McDonough,  1913 

8 

Bond,  1913 

9 

Lake,  1915 

10 

McLean,  1915 

11 

Pike,  1915 

12 

Winnebago,  1916 

13 

Kankakee,  1916 

14 

Tazewell,  1916 

16 

Edgar,  1917 

16 

DuPage,  1917 

17 

Kane,  1917 

18  Champaign,  1918 

19  Peoria,  1921 

20  Bureau,  1921 

21  McHenry,  1921 

22  Iroquois,  1922 

23  DeKalb,  1922 

24  Adams,  1922 

26  Livingston,  1923 

26  Grundy,  1924 

27  Hancock,  1924 

28  Mason,  1924 

29  Mercer,  1925 
SO  Johnson,  1925 

31  Bock  Island,  1925 

32  Bandolph,  1925 

33  Saline,  1926 

34  Marion,  1926 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS- URBANA 

Q  630  7IL6SR  C005 

ILLINOIS  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

34  1926 


01 


019543625 


